CNN political commentator and former aide to President Joe Biden’s campaign, Ashley Allison, made comments during a panel discussion on CNN This Morning regarding the O.J. Simpson trial and its racial implications. Simpson, a former NFL star, was acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
Host Kasie Hunt prompted the discussion by asking Allison about how the trial and acquittal divided the country along racial lines at the time. Allison shared that, as a child, she cheered when Simpson was acquitted but didn’t fully grasp the complexities of the situation. She acknowledged the racial tension surrounding the trial due to the recent Rodney King beating by police and the L.A. riots.
“It was so racially charged because of what had happened just before with Rodney King, but also just how Black Americans feel about policing,” she said. “It’s not like O. J. Simpson was the leader of the civil rights movement of his era, you know? He wasn’t a social 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,” said Allison.
Allison highlighted that although Simpson wasn’t a social or civil rights leader, he represented something significant for the Black community during the trial, especially because the victims were White. She stated that the trial was influenced by broader issues such as the historical context of racial tension and the Black community’s experience with policing.
In concluding her remarks, Allison emphasized the need for the country to have an honest conversation about race relations to avoid perpetuating moments like the O.J. Simpson trial. She warned that without addressing racial issues, the nation would remain divided.
CNN employee says black people relate to OJ Simpson because he murdered two white people.
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) April 12, 2024
