Tag Archives: NAACP

Ida B. Wells: The Black Woman Crusader Against White Knights

Posted on March 4, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Ida B. Wells was born into slavery on July 16, 1862.  She was “freed” by presidential proclamation and executive order (the Emancipation Proclamation) issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, during the American Civil War. Ida B. Wells … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, November 7, 1931 — Fisk University Dean and Student Die In Car Wreck After Denied Hospital Care Due to Race

Posted on November 7, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On November 7, 1931, Dean Juliette Derricotte of Fisk University in Nashville was driving three students to her parents’ home in Atlanta when a Model T driven by an older white man suddenly swerved and struck Ms. Derricotte’s car, overturning … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, August 25, 1956 — Montgomery, Alabama, Home of Bus Boycott Supporter Bombed

Posted on August 25, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On the night of April 25, 1956, several sticks of dynamite were thrown into the yard of Pastor Robert Graetz’s Montgomery, Alabama, home where they exploded, breaking the home’s front windows and damaging the front door. A young white minister … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, August 16, 2006 — Florida Attorney General Names Suspects in 55-Year-Old Civil Rights Murders

Posted on August 16, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On the evening of December 25, 1951, a bomb exploded at the Florida home of Harry and Harriette Moore, killing the couple on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Harry Moore’s mother and the couple’s daughter were asleep in adjoining rooms but … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, August 2, 1964 — Claims of Police Brutality Spark Riots in Jersey City, New Jersey

Posted on August 2, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The Jersey City Riots began on August 2, 1964, when police attempted to arrest Dolores Shannon, a 26-year-old black woman, in the Booker T. Washington housing project for alleged disorderly conduct. Walter Mays, 34, a black man sitting on his … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 30, 1943 White Sailors and Soldiers Attack Latino Youth in Los Angeles Zoot Suit Riots

Posted on May 30, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

World War II fueled a population influx into Los Angeles, California, in 1943 that coincided with an increase in petty crime. White residents blamed Latino youth, who often wore distinctive, colorful garments known as “zoot suits.” Many members of the … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 17, 1954 — United States Supreme Court Declares Racial Segregation of Public Schools Unconstitutional

Posted on May 17, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education grew out of several cases challenging racial segregation in school districts across America, filed as part of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s strategy to bar the practice nationwide. Because the lawsuits … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 15, 1916 — Jesse Washington Brutally Lynched in Waco, Texas

Posted on May 15, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On May 15, 1916, after an all-white jury convicted Jesse Washington of the murder of a white woman, he was taken from the courtroom and burned alive in front of a mob of 15,000. When he was accused of killing … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 7, 1955 — Rev. George Lee Fatally Shot After Attempting to Register to Vote in Belzoni, Mississippi

Posted on May 7, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Reverend George Lee, co-founder of Belzoni, Mississippi’s NAACP chapter and the first African American to register to vote in Humphreys County since Reconstruction, is considered one of the first martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement. Rev. Lee first moved to … Continue reading →

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This day in history — April 11, 1913 — President Wilson Permits Segregation Within Federal Government

Posted on April 11, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On April 11, 1913, recently inaugurated President Woodrow Wilson received Postmaster General Albert Burleson’s plan to segregate the Railway Mail Service. Burleson reported that he found it “intolerable” that white and black employees had to work together and share drinking … Continue reading →

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