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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.
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.
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