OJ, Alcee, and Perceptions of Justice

The arrival of OJ Simpson’s movie, “If I did it Here’s How it Happened” during the current controversy surrounding Speaker Elect Nancy Pelosi’s choice for chairman of the House Intelligence committee highlights a real divide between blacks and whites on the perception of justice in America.

I was working in Richmond, Virginia, when the OJ Simpson verdict was read. Our staff reflected the racial make-up of the surrounding area. When we gathered around a TV to watch the delivery of the verdict, none of us anticipated what happened next. As the words “not guilty” were delivered both gasps and cheers were sounded - but strictly along racial lines. Only whites gasped and only blacks cheered. Until that point each one of us assumed we were in agreement with what we thought the obvious verdict should be. It was an awkward moment, each of us thinking “How could friends and co-workers – folks we knew to be reasonable otherwise – not see the justice/injustice of what just happened?”

And here we are with Representative Alcee Hastings. A former federal judge impeached and removed from office, by overwhelming margins, for bribery. I wouldn’t think him worthy of a seat in Congress much less Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. And yet the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) backs him for the post. They may have reasons similar to those who cheered the OJ verdict. Reasons perhaps grounded in their personal experiences with prejudice, but reasons I still find unconvincing.

Both OJ and Alcee were acquitted in the face of strong evidence to the contrary. Both received set-backs in other venues, OJ in civil court and Alcee with Congress. Both have been perceived as racial victims by many in the black community, but both are generating high negatives (OJ, Alcee)

OJ’s movie appears to be an eerie confession and is probably changing some minds about his innocence. Alcee still maintains his innocence. Is the CBC confident enough in their assessment of Alcee’s character that he won’t disappoint their trust in the future – particularly those CBC members who didn’t trust him in the past?