Hill: Tide has turned on O.J.

Last Friday, O.J. Simpson was convicted of kidnapping and robbery after a bizarre scuffle in a Las Vegas hotel last year. Despite the existence of an all-white jury and questionable evidence, the Simpson verdict has provoked little response from the black community. Unlike his first trial 15 years ago, there has been relatively little interest. No 24-hour news coverage. No over-analysis. No community outrage. There are a few reasons for this deafening silence.

One of the biggest factors operating against O.J. is the ascendence of Barack Obama. With the possibility of the first black president becoming increasingly strong, many black people are so captivated by the ever-changing political theater that they simply haven’t had time to worry about O.J. On a deeper level, O.J. Simpson’s very existence is an enemy to the “politics of respectability” that Barack Obama exemplifies. Unlike Obama, who represents an archetypal black figure, O.J. Simpson only reinforces vicious notions of black men as violent predators.

Another issue is O.J.’s refusal to embrace the black community after his 1995 acquittal. For decades preceding his first arrest, Simpson remained distant from the black community. Whether exogamous marriage or his infamous Bronco, O.J. embraced everything white. Nevertheless, Simpson desperately looked to the black community for outrage and support. And we wrapped the same arms of protection around him as for other questionable characters like Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson and Clarence Thomas. Rather than showing gratitude by giving back to the community, Simpson returned to his racial fairyland.

The other reason for the black community’s indifference to the Simpson verdict is the one least discussed: Most of us believe that he is a murderer. Although we may not admit it publicly, many black people believe that O.J. Simpson killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. As such, our initial support for him was a response to police misconduct that undermined the prosecution’s ability to meet its burden of proof. Instead of counting his blessings and keeping his nose clean, Simpson now finds himself in trouble once again. Regardless of his innocence or guilt, it’s hard to have sympathy for someone who keeps playing with fire.

Marc Lamont Hill is a FoxNews commentator and assistant professor at Temple University.