Marcia Clark Discusses The Race Factor In The O.J. Simpson Trial

All eyes have been on Marcia Clark ever since FX premiered its highly-anticipated mini-series, American Horror Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. The 62-year-old former lead prosecutor in the controve...
Marcia Clark Discusses The Race Factor In The O.J. Simpson Trial
Written by Val Powell

All eyes have been on Marcia Clark ever since FX premiered its highly-anticipated mini-series, American Horror Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. The 62-year-old former lead prosecutor in the controversial 1995 murder case has appeared on several TV shows and shared her thoughts on the hit show that relived a lot of painful memories for her.

Marcia Clark Was Not Too Keen About the O.J. Trial Mini-Series

In a previous interview with Vogue, just a week before the series premiered, Clark expressed her apprehensions about the show. Remembering the excruciating moments during the course of her trial was not something she looked forward to, and she revealed wishing that the show would eventually fall through.

“When I first heard they were going to do this, I kept praying that somehow, something would go wrong,” said Marcia Clark. “It’s not entertainment for me. It’s a tragedy.”

The O.J. Simpson trial, which lasted almost a year, took place during a time when racial tension was at an all-time high. A year before the trial began, Los Angeles police officers accused of savagely beating African-American motorist Rodney King was acquitted, and many Americans were outraged.

In another interview with Slate, Marcia Clark confirmed that race and gender issues made it virtually impossible for prosecution to convict O.J. Simpson for the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

“The racial divide was absolutely crystal clear, and African-American women in particular [were] no fans of mine,” revealed Clark. “The question was what do I do? How do I reach them? And no one had an answer for that…The trial was so out of control, and became so awash in racial epithets and racial slurs, that I think it became impossible to believe anything beyond a reasonable doubt…”

Aside from race issues, Marcia Clark also had to contend with gender-oriented criticism, mostly centered on her looks, the way she dressed, as well as her domestic affairs.

Nevertheless, the lawyer-turned-novelist praised the show, especially the layered portrayal of her by actress Sarah Paulson.

Subscribe for Updates

Newsletter

By signing up for our newsletter you agree to receive content related to ientry.com / webpronews.com and our affiliate partners. For additional information refer to our terms of service.
Get the WebProNews newsletter delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by decision makers

Subscribe
Advertise with Us

Ready to get started?

Get our media kit