The answer is as straightforward as it is unpleasant: White supremacy led to O.J.’s acquittal. To understand this, you have to know the context, which is the justified distrust Black communities ...

I also remember news outlets at the time making a point to show the contrasting reactions of white audiences and Black audiences as the verdict was read: cheering versus bleeped-out swearing.

It emerged that he would tell close friends, “I’m not Black, I’m O.J.” — an apparent recognition that he understood how his fame seemed to transcend his race in the eyes of white fans. “ ...