Description
Book SynopsisPuts the Rodney King and O. J. Simpson trials under the microscope
Reviews the turbulent events of the Rodney King and O. J. Simpson trials from a social and political framework of race relations and police misconduct. This thought-provoking book shows that the issue of race was at the very heart of both of these emotionally charged cases.
Psychologist and scholar Jewelle Taylor Gibbs shows how King and Simpson have been transformed by their trials into symbols of the different worlds inhabited by blacks and whites in America. Gibbs''s compelling analysis of the issues that permeated these trials will challenge even the most cynical observer to rethink any previously held assumptions about race and the criminal justice system.
Trade Review"Gibbs' book, an in-depth analysis of the Rodney King and O.J. Simpson cases, is bold, courageous scholarship. Penned by a talented clinical psychologist, the study rises above superficiality and even now stands out from the large body of opportunistic, commercial Simpson-King literature. . . . An instant classic."
"An excellent manual. . . . Offers constructive insights into both trials from intellectuals, educators and lawyers as well as social workers and community support counselors."
"Gibbs finds context and meaning in this first serious, scholarly study of Rodney King and O.J. Simpson cases."
?Race and Justice penetrates the searing headlines of two of the most celebrated criminal trials in American history to ponder their broader implications for our society. Jewelle Taylor Gibbs, the wise and insightful author, offers trenchant observations about the future of race relations in Los Angeles that Americans everywhere should heed, and in a hurry.? -- Hugh B. Price, president, National Urban League
?Must reading for those who want to reinvent the jury system, improve race relations, and make sense of the Rodney King and O.J. Simpson verdicts and their racially polarized aftermaths. Drawing on history, sociology, and psychology, the author analyzes these controversial verdicts and concludes that they are the legacy of racial injustice and police violence.? --Eddie N. Williams, president, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
?Sensitive and gripping. Essential for anyone who wants to understand police and racial tension in America.? --Joseph D. McNamara, retired police chief of San Jose, California, research fellow, Hoover Institution Stanford University
?Sensitive and gripping. Essential for anyone who wants to understand police and racial tension in America? --Joseph D. McNamara, retired police chief of San Jose, research fellow, Hoover Institution Stanford University
"An important, thoughtful analysis."
"This book is brilliant, dramatic and appalling....Her book is carefully documented, but written in an easy and attractive style."
"Jewelle Taylor Gibbs, the wise and insightful author offers trenchant observations about the future of race relations in Los Angeles that Americans everywhere should heed, and in a hurry." --Hugh B. Price, President, National Urban League
"Careful and provocative analyses . . . essential for anyone interested in a broader perspective of the issues." --Phillip Young Blue, New York State Supreme Court Criminal Branch Library, Library Journal
Table of ContentsForeword
Part One: Rodney King
1. Los Angeles: from Watts to South Central
2. Rodney King: Gentle Giant or Gorilla in the Mist?
3. The Color of Justice, I: The Trial, the Victim, the Verdict
4. Days of Rage: No Justice, No Peace
5. Two Commissions and Three Trials: Community Conflict and Concepts of Justice
Part Two: O. J. Simpson
6. O. J. Simpson: The Man, the Myth, the Marriage
7. The Crime, the Chase, the Arrest
8. The People V. O.J. Simpson: The Trial Begins
9. Ambushing the Prosecution: Playing the Race Card
10. The Color of Justice, II: The Verdict, the Response, the Aftermath
Part Three: Race and Justice
11. ?Bad Blood?: Conspiracy Theories and the Black Community
12. A House Divided: Healing the Wound, Restoring the Dream
AppAndix A: Research Note
AppAndix B: People Interviewed
