In the following post that I made on my Facebook page 3 days ago, I said some things that in retrospect I would have said differently, or refrained from saying. (The links and excerpts stand. Those are good articles for anyone who wants to understand the wider societal context of the OJ Simpson case.)
I’m leaving the post in its original form (for accountability & learning) but am also posting a revised version below it. Maybe my rewrite based on reflection will be helpful to some other people who, like me, are trying to learn how to be more understanding and empathetic to their intended listeners, while still speaking up.
The main differences: 1) I took out the mention of our local comedy scene, which only ended up fanning the flames of a recent conflict in the community, plus obscuring the point I was trying to make. And 2), I corrected the tone and wording to be what I hope is more appropriately empathetic and humble.
The original post:
In regard to OJ Simpson’s passing, I have seen a lot of covertly racist comments — and some overtly racist comments as well — on the pages of fellow white people, in regard to OJ Simpson’s passing. Racist jokes and racist comments are never OK.
And a special note to my fellow comics:
One of the things I love most about The Last Laugh Open Mic Comedy at Tir na nOg Irish Pub, is the absolute, non-negotiable prohibition we have against racist jokes. It’s actually the only restriction we have on content at the Nog.
(I say fellow comics, even though I have only tried stand-up a handful of times, at open mics, and am really mainly an audience member — but I do use humor extensively in my writing and hold myself to this rule).
And I thank all the beautiful Daytona comics who have so consistently enforced this essential rule at the Nog.
I actually think it’s not OK to even make mean-spirited comments about someone’s death, never mind actual racist comments, but maybe that’s just me.
As a white person who is learning how to be anti-racist, I found these two articles to be very helpful. I have shared the link to each, with a couple brief quotes.
1) from Washington Post Apr 11: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/04/11/oj-simpson-racial-divisions-murder-trial/
“While the reaction to the verdict was largely portrayed in the media along racial lines at the time, it was always more complicated than that, said James Lance Taylor, a politics professor at the University of San Francisco. “The truth is many millions of Black people thought O.J. Simpson was probably guilty,” said Taylor. “There was just so much wrapped up in the O.J. case that was connected to the Black experience in America.””
BUT, AND, ALSO: “Coming just a few years after the acquittal of four officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King in 1992 and the 1991 killing of Black teenager Latasha Harlins by a store clerk in Los Angeles, Simpson’s treatment by the police and media was viewed by many in the Black community as proof that even wealthy celebrities couldn’t escape racism in America…”
2) from Antiracism Daily’s weekend edition today:
“Nearly 30 years after O.J. Simpson’s acquittal, his death shows America’s persistent racial divide. Simpson, who died Wednesday, remains a symbol of racial divisions in American society because he is a reminder of how deeply the inequities are felt, even as newer figures have come to symbolize the struggles around racism, policing and justice.”
The newsletter goes on to link an article from PBS on this topic:
“Some people recall watching their Black co-workers and classmates erupting in jubilation at perceived retribution over institutional racism. Others remember their white counterparts shocked over what many felt was overwhelming evidence of guilt. Both reactions reflected different experiences with a criminal justice system that continues to disproportionately punish Black Americans.”
OJ Simpson; USA racial divide
The revised version which I posted on my Facebook just now:
Revised version:
In recent days, I started noticing a lot of comments on social media, regarding O.J. Simpson’s death. They seemed triumphant, like oh good the guy is going to hell etc. And something about it to me didn’t sit right, even beyond my personal aversion to commenting triumphantly about someone’s death.
So I did some reflecting and some web searching, and also, in a timely manner, things popped into my inbox that helped me understand the bigger picture behind what I was feeling.
As a white person who is learning how to be anti-racist (and I expect this to be a lifelong journey), I found these two articles to be very helpful. I have shared the link to each, with a couple of brief quotes.
1) from Washington Post Apr 11: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/04/11/oj-simpson-racial-divisions-murder-trial/
“While the reaction to the verdict was largely portrayed in the media along racial lines at the time, it was always more complicated than that, said James Lance Taylor, a politics professor at the University of San Francisco. “The truth is many millions of Black people thought O.J. Simpson was probably guilty,” said Taylor. “There was just so much wrapped up in the O.J. case that was connected to the Black experience in America.””
BUT, AND, ALSO:
“Coming just a few years after the acquittal of four officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King in 1992 and the 1991 killing of Black teenager Latasha Harlins by a store clerk in Los Angeles, Simpson’s treatment by the police and media was viewed by many in the Black community as proof that even wealthy celebrities couldn’t escape racism in America…”
2) from Antiracism Daily’s weekend edition today:
“Nearly 30 years after O.J. Simpson’s acquittal, his death shows America’s persistent racial divide. Simpson, who died Wednesday, remains a symbol of racial divisions in American society because he is a reminder of how deeply the inequities are felt, even as newer figures have come to symbolize the struggles around racism, policing and justice.”
The newsletter goes on to link an article from PBS on this topic:
“Some people recall watching their Black co-workers and classmates erupting in jubilation at perceived retribution over institutional racism. Others remember their white counterparts shocked over what many felt was overwhelming evidence of guilt. Both reactions reflected different experiences with a criminal justice system that continues to disproportionately punish Black Americans.”
OJ Simpson; USA racial divide