O.J. Simpson, born Orenthal James Simpson in 1947, is a former professional football player and actor. While he is primarily known for his successful football career, he became a controversial figure in Black history due to the highly publicized criminal trial in which he was acquitted of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1995.

The trial, known as the "Trial of the Century," garnered significant media attention and exposed deep-rooted issues of race, class, and the criminal justice system in America. The case highlighted the complex intersections of race and celebrity, with Simpson's defense team emphasizing the racial dynamics of the case and the history of racism in the Los Angeles Police Department.

The acquittal of O.J. Simpson is often seen as a defining moment in American history that polarized the nation along racial lines, with many Black Americans celebrating the verdict as a rare instance of a Black man prevailing against a system they perceived as biased and unjust. The trial and its aftermath sparked debates about race, privilege, and justice that continue to resonate in discussions of Black history and the criminal justice system in the United States.