Chloe Hilliard draws parallels between the two men and our reactions to them in a piece for Black Enterprise.
The prosecution of Zimmerman harkens back to another murder case that came down to race. In 1995, the country came to a standstill as the verdict in the OJ Simpson trial was delivered. The former NFL star-turned-actor was found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her acquaintance Ron Goldman, both of whom were White. The public opinion on the case’s outcome was visibly divided by race and as a result Simpson became a pariah in the eyes of many. Now, Zimmerman finds himself in a similar position as public disdain grows.
Given the parallels between both men, BlackEnterprise.com takes a look at some powerful quotes and figures from the Simpson case and how they measure up to Martin/Zimmerman. From the family of the victims speaking out to the accused stating their innocence, underneath it all we can learn a lesson.
In a recent poll conducted by Newsweek 80% of Black Americans surveyed thought Martin’s death was racially motivated and 78% thought Obama’s comments about the shooting were appropriate. On the contrary, of the Whites polled the figures were 35% and 28%, respectively. US News and World Report asked if Zimmerman should be convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting of Trayvon Martin and 64% said no, while 36% said yes.
Read Chloe Hilliard's entire piece at Black Enterprise.