In Pursuit of Justice: What is the merit of OJ Simpson’s complex legacy?

Nearly 30 years ago, the American public was unexpectedly drawn to it not by the scheduled 1994 NBA Finals, but by the real drama unfolding on TV screens. On June 17, 1994, Orenthal James “OJ” Simpson became the subject of a slow police chase on the highways of Southern California, during which Simpson was led by close friend Al Cowlings in the now infamous white Ford Bronco. He was accused of the brutal murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman and was wanted by authorities because he refused to give up.

Chase, captured by television cameras and broadcast livehe drew an estimate 95 million viewers right into a collective experience of expectation and disbelief. As the Bronco passed under highway overpasses, crowds gathered, some cheering for Simpson – a shocking display of the complex interplay between celebrity culture, racial trauma and the serious nature of the allegations against the former NFL star. The media spectacle that followed became a social zeitgeist, mostly viewed on a bizarre split-screen television that compared the NBA Finals to a police chase. The subsequent criminal trial proved much more divisive and pivotal, without end changing the way the media covers high-profile cases. And yet, in the days following Simpson’s death from cancer on April 10, and nearly three a long time after the murders that accelerated his fall from grace, as society continues to grapple with notions of guilt and innocence, a more poignant discussion is emerging about the broader ramifications penance and reconciliation.

Once a celebrated sports hero affectionately often called “The Juice,” Simpson became the central figure in a surreal painting that will usher in his transformation into one of the most polarizing figures in modern American history. The stark divisions in public opinion during Simpson’s trial have resurfaced along with his death, underscoring a persistent and even deeper social rift – a rift not only over the man himself, but in addition over how broader justice systems proceed to intersect with race and celebrity status in America. Reflecting on Simpson’s recent death and the controversy surrounding not only his legacy but in addition his remaining pecuniary and moral debts, the conversation now turns to his unfinished business. Although Simpson went to trial and was acquitted of all criminal charges in 1995, over the following a long time many viewers continued to be disturbed by his seeming lack of remorse or any sense of responsibility as he publicly reflected on the deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman, for which he was found guilty in a 1997 civil suit. At the time of his death, this monetary debt remained unpaid.

Whether they believed or disbelieved in his guilt, the public drawn into this saga could use some form of closure by which OJ Simpson admitted that the nature of his relationship with Nicole Brown Simpson likely contributed to the events that placed her in the above harmful way. What about their children? It might need been stimulating to deal with the undeniable fact that in the wake of the murders, two of the Simpson children lost their mother and, to a lesser extent, their father. Their innocence was also stolen.

Admittedly, deciphering Simpson’s narrative might be an emotional rollercoaster. When we consider how his legacy of acquittal stirs frustration and unresolved feelings, it can’t be denied that his “second chance” was seemingly squandered. Neither his accusers nor his supporters received the ending we expected.

How to bury individuals with whom we left unfinished business? Can justice be found when there is no solution? Against the backdrop of Simpson’s public persona and the legal battles that ultimately overshadowed the achievements of his earlier life, highlighting the interplay of fame, race and justice, his downfall also launched a complex dialogue about moral responsibility and private redemption. It is price considering the deeper, perhaps more personal, elements of repentance and the transformative power of engaging in activities that seek to heal and restore the community, regardless of the court’s verdict. This shift of focus from external judgments of judgment to internal judgments of character and soul invites us to explore what true redemption might appear like after life’s most tumultuous storms.

Such reflection becomes much more essential once we consider how the sensationalism of the Simpson trial connects to the emergence of reality television and pervasive influencer cultures. Every day we’re inundated with the latest news, drawn into other people’s conflicts to the point that we lose sensitivity. How does the practice of repentance inform the broader conversation about moral responsibility and private redemption, not only in headline-grabbing cases like the Simpson case that we’re seeing increasingly more of lately, but in our own lives and communities? What does true redemption appear like in the context of social healing and restorative justice?

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Many say that if someone is not guilty, there is nothing to dwell on – and to some extent this is true. However, the responsibility stays to see that a broken community is united, especially when it has the power to alleviate the suffering of those wronged by engaging in forms of repentance, which is a personality trait that we do not discuss enough. Doing penance is an indication of maturity and humility in the face of evil; these are actions that result from religious practices that show remorse for something someone has done or been involved in. At the same time, although most of us won’t ever be accused of murder and even suspected of murder, each of us can relate to the experience of being misunderstood or blamed in our lives where only God might be the judge – period.

If this is true, what will we bear as testimony?

Giving an account to the Creator meant when our ancestors spoke about the “Book of Life”, a reference symbolizing the record of deeds and deeds for which the soul inhabiting the human body is responsible. In the sacred Christian text, often called the New Testament of the Bible, the “Book of Life” refers to the names recorded for individuals who will inherit everlasting life.

Although our names are written in the heavenly Book of Life, all have to be held accountable in line with their actions on this life and the next. For every motion there is an equal and opposite response. The desire ought to be for us to enhance our lives daily in the hope that whoever comes after us will have the option to construct a greater legacy because we lived.

In the context of the African-American experience of centuries of liberation and struggle, “The Book of Life” has a deeper meaning since it incorporates inside it a desire to be free from the complexities of who we’re and the struggles we endure. Our ancestors spoke of each the Book of Life and angelic support in a spirituality deeply rooted in Black people: “The angels in heaven signed my name” We can imagine that Simpson himself hears this song through his mother Eunice, who was reportedly deeply rooted in the Christian faith and famous music, who sang hymns and devotional songs on countless Sundays. As the hymn reminds us, there is all the time an incentive to repent and be held accountable. What does restorative justice appear like?

Can you imagine what it means when the angels write your name and it is recognized by the Divine Creator, regardless of who you’re or what you might have done? We all have power that we will wield in the name of like to bring about resolution in our spheres of influence. As the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once stated“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that is opposed to love.” We sense that when the whole lot is considered, especially from the point of view of those that have been wronged, the Divine Creator, who is love, makes all things right for the justice of all.

Ultimately, what matters most is what Source knows about you. To put it one other way, Minister Louis Farrakhan reminds us of this we’re the direct descendants of the Divine because each of us has a righteous nature hidden beneath the unique circumstances of our lives. As people of faith, regardless of our faith, we’re called to look beyond others’ faults to fulfill them of their needs.

In circumstances of life and inheritance that beat us and abused us, angels in heaven signed our name.

Through the confusion and pitfalls of life, the angels in heaven have signed our name.

However the world perceives you, once you strive to be higher and do higher, the angels in heaven sign your name.

Our prayer is:

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The Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones is a faith leader helping people navigate a dynamic world, as a consultant to numerous arts and faith-based organizations and as Professor of Music in Contemporary Societies at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. She is an award-winning writer (Oxford University Press). For more information please visit DrAlisha.com.

Rev. Calvin Taylor Skinner is committed to strengthening frontline communities in Knoxville, Tennessee and the UK. He uses faith and politics to deal with energy justice, criminal justice reform, voter education/mobilization, electoral politics, and global issues. He and his wife, Reverend Dr. Alisha Lola Jones, run InSight Initiative, a consulting firm focused on capability constructing and live event production.