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How O.J. Simpson Changed America
The Way We View and Discuss Race Will Never Be the Same
Orenthal James Simpson changed America. He was known by the initials OJ or his nickname, the Juice. Unless you are of a certain age, you don’t really know OJ; it’s just what people have told you about him. He was one of America’s greatest athletes, yet at an early age, he battled with rickets and wore braces on his legs until age five. Ironically, one of the treatments for rickets in children was vitamin D and calcium supplements found in some versions of orange juice. If you didn’t know, you’d think his nickname was associated with the orange juice commercials OJ did well after he retired. The Juice nickname was associated with electricity, and his offensive line while playing with the Buffalo Bills was The Electric Factory.
OJ had troubles as a youth. He was a member of the Persian Warriors gang in his hometown of San Francisco. Police stopped him for petty offenses like stealing beer and fighting. Simpson spent a weekend in juvenile detention when he was 16 as a deterrent, and he was arrested at least three times. Officers didn’t want to disrupt a football career that, it was hoped, could change his direction. An arranged…
