April 11, 2024
O.J. Simpson, the former NFL star who was acquitted of killing his former wife and her friend, has died at the age of 76. His family announced the news on X, saying he passed away from his battle with cancer. Simpson was an American cultural figure for decades and a star running back for the Buffalo Bills before he became a symbol of domestic violence and racial division after the infamous trial that captured the nation, according to The Washington Post. Though Simpson was acquitted in that 1995 trial, a civil suit by the victims’ families found him liable for their deaths in 1997.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, analysis and commentary on Simpson’s legacy and expertise on the legal, criminal proceedings in Simpson’s past. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations Specialists Shannon Mitchell at [email protected] and Cate Douglass at [email protected].
Stephen A Saltzburg, Wallace and Beverley Woodbury University Professor of Law; Co-director of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Program at the George Washington University Law School. Professor Saltzburg is an expert on criminal evidence, procedure and litigation. Professor Saltzburg has held numerous governmental positions and continues to serve as a mediator for the U.S. Court of Appeals for DC.
Imani M. Cheers, associate professor of digital storytelling, an award-winning digital storyteller, director, producer, and filmmaker. As a professor of practice, she uses a variety of mediums including video, photography, television, and film to document and discuss issues impacting and involving people of the African Diaspora. Her scholarly focus is on the intersection of women/girls, technology, health, conflict, agriculture, and the effects of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. Cheers is also an expert on diversity in Hollywood, specifically the representation of Black women in television and film. Cheers can discuss Simpson’s cultural legacy.
“OJ was profoundly popular AND polarizing…OJ’s legacy unfortunately isn’t in his athletic achievements or even acting but in his acquittal from a double murder,” Cheers said.
-GW-