O.J. Simpson Trial: How Racism and Culture Created a “Monster”
Jennifer Beck
AMST 2103
February 5, 2013
O.J. Simpson Trial: How Racism and Culture Created a “Monster”
Today in America, the idea that every man and woman is created equal is embedded into the brains of our youth at a young age. They are taught that every American citizen is entitled to equal rights regardless of his or her race, gender, or religious background. In spite of this, racism always has been, and always will be, a part of American culture. It is found everywhere. Racism exists in the daily life of almost every citizen of this country, whether they are aware of it or not. As a country, we want to believe that we refrain from using the pigmentation of another’s skin as an essential in judging another, but that belief is somewhat fictitious. Racism is not just superficial; it is ingrained in our minds and in the culture of our nation. Racial discrimination can be both easily detected and easily concealed depending on the situation. It can be seen through irrational assumptions, physical outrages, or even personal thoughts that induce a certain action or behavior. Many people may have racial tendencies without realizing it. Although the United States of America has taken colossal strides to eradicate racial discrimination, certain controversies and events wake the sleeping monster of racism that is implanted in our culture.
In 1995, the murder trial of Orenthal James Simpson, commonly known as O.J. Simpson, changed America’s media culture everlastingly. Due to its overwhelming media coverage, the trial brought issues of race and crime to the forefront of national concern. It revealed a nation that clearly had not eliminated all racial instincts against African American populations. What seemed to have started as a general murder investigation of a high profile celebrity, soon spiraled out of control into a racially diluted murder trial that was publicized all over the world.
On June 12, 1994, O.J. Simpson’s former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and
AMST 2103
February 5, 2013
O.J. Simpson Trial: How Racism and Culture Created a “Monster”
Today in America, the idea that every man and woman is created equal is embedded into the brains of our youth at a young age. They are taught that every American citizen is entitled to equal rights regardless of his or her race, gender, or religious background. In spite of this, racism always has been, and always will be, a part of American culture. It is found everywhere. Racism exists in the daily life of almost every citizen of this country, whether they are aware of it or not. As a country, we want to believe that we refrain from using the pigmentation of another’s skin as an essential in judging another, but that belief is somewhat fictitious. Racism is not just superficial; it is ingrained in our minds and in the culture of our nation. Racial discrimination can be both easily detected and easily concealed depending on the situation. It can be seen through irrational assumptions, physical outrages, or even personal thoughts that induce a certain action or behavior. Many people may have racial tendencies without realizing it. Although the United States of America has taken colossal strides to eradicate racial discrimination, certain controversies and events wake the sleeping monster of racism that is implanted in our culture.
In 1995, the murder trial of Orenthal James Simpson, commonly known as O.J. Simpson, changed America’s media culture everlastingly. Due to its overwhelming media coverage, the trial brought issues of race and crime to the forefront of national concern. It revealed a nation that clearly had not eliminated all racial instincts against African American populations. What seemed to have started as a general murder investigation of a high profile celebrity, soon spiraled out of control into a racially diluted murder trial that was publicized all over the world.
On June 12, 1994, O.J. Simpson’s former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and
Cited: Enomoto, Carl E. "Public Sympathy For O.J. Simpson: The Roles Of Race, Age, Gender, Income, And Education." American Journal Of Economics & Sociology 58.1 (1999): 145-161. America: History & Life. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. Gira, Jay, dir. OJ Simpson: Monster or Myth?. Writ. Hernan Barangan. Celebrity Video Distribution, 2010. Film. 5 Feb 2013. Rothenberg, Paula. RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER IN THE UNITED STATES. 8TH. Worth Publishers, 2009. 13-20. Print. Buck, Pem. “Worked to the Bone” CONSTRUCTING RACE, CREATING WHITE PRIVILEGE. (2001): Print. Buck, Pem. Worked to the Bone. Monthly Review Press, 2001. 32-37. Print