A CNN contributor sparked controversy on social media after declaring on a CNN program that the black community felt "represented" by O.J. Simpson because he was on trial for the murder of "two white people."
He wasn't a social justice leader, but he represented something for the black community in that moment, in that trial, particularly because there were two white people who had been killed. And the history of around how black people had been persecuted during slavery.
Ashley Allison made the comment during the network's special coverage of Simpson's death. The contributor was speaking on the racial tension that flooded the nation during the controversial trial of 1994.
WTF: CNN Contributor suggests black people identified with OJ because he k*lled white people.
“[OJ] represented something for the black community in that moment, in that trial, particularly because there were two white people who had been k*lled.”
These remarks are insane.… pic.twitter.com/zJHNDJ0I7t
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) April 12, 2024
Death of OJ Simpson
The family of Orenthal James "O.J." Simpson reported that he has died at the age of 76. Through a brief statement on the former NFL player's official X account, his children detailed that their father died from cancer.
"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace," the family said.
O.J. Simpson was born on July 9, 1947 in San Francisco. He achieved nationwide recognition for his sports career as a player in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s. However, he fell from grace in 1994 when he was arrested and charged with the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman. This case, known as the O.J. Simpson trial, became one of the most-followed media events in the history of the country.
Simpson was not found guilty of the murders. However, despite being acquitted, three years after the criminal trial, he was deemed responsible in a civil lawsuit filed by the victims' families and ordered to pay compensation.
In 2008, Simpson was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas related to an incident in which he attempted to recover sports memorabilia that he claimed belonged to him. He served a nine-year prison sentence before being released on parole in 2017.
