I had the pleasure of coming home last week for the first time in eight months following my second back surgery. I’m not 100% but I can get around better than I could this time last year. A special thank you goes out to my dear friend and cohost David Barnes of WURD’s New World View for hosting a small gathering for a few of our friends, from artists Valray and Starlene Bey to Aqueelah Jamal and Jonathan Bey, both of WURD Radio. The night consisted of good food, drinks, Afrobeat tunes, the 76ers winning game, and great conversation.
Thanks all for coming out and breaking bread and shooting the breeze. Memorable times.
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Let’s rewind: On April 10, 2024, O.J. Simpson passed, and, days after his death, Netflix re-aired the “O.J.: Made In America” documentary, which is currently streaming on Netflix. The five-part series is a true eye-opener; watch the series and remember O.J.’s life, his rise to the top, and his tragic downfall. There were things in this documentary I had never seen or heard before; it was truly enlightening.
It is the defining cultural tale of modern America – a saga of race, celebrity, media, violence, and the criminal justice system; two decades after its unforgettable climax, it continues to fascinate, polarize, and even, yes, develop new chapters.
Now, the conversation has begun again. After Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson died earlier this month, the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman received renewed focus. Many continue to believe he did it; some still insist he didn’t.
The documentary explores race and celebrity through the life of O.J. Simpson; through interviews, news footage, and archival audio and video, “O.J.: Made in America” traces the life and career of O.J. Simpson, starting with his arrival at the University of Southern California as an emerging football superstar, Throughout the documentary, Simpson’s life – the football success, television & acting career, relationship with Nicole Brown, the domestic abuse, Nicole and Ron Goldman’s murder, and the trial – run parallel to the larger narrative of the city of Los Angeles, which serves as host to mounting racial tensions, and a volatile relationship between the police department and the African-American community.
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