If you, like everyone, miss FX’s “The People v OJ Simpson,” don’t worry. Here are five other stories looking at race and injustice in America.
First things first: You need an O.J. documentary. ESPN’s “30 for 30: June 17th, 1994” looks back at the infamous Bronco chase. And it’s on Netflix.
“OJ is the first black defendant in history to get off because he’s black,” says Chris Darden (Sterling K. Brown) in “The People v OJ Simpson.” There are plenty of shows about the criminal justice system working in other ways.
Ken Burns’ “The Central Park Five” tells the story of New York youths — all young men of color — who were convicted of an atrocious rape they didn’t commit. The film, which aired on PBS, is on Netflix.
The film says Donald Trump was among those who rushed to judgement, taking out full-page newspaper ads calling for New York to reinstate the death penalty.
Interested in looking at the issues raised in “OJ Simpson” from a fictional perspective? Check out John Ridley‘s “American Crime Story,” which has explored prejudice and the criminal justice system over two excellent seasons on ABC.
HBO’s “Confirmation,” premiering April 16, explores many of the same issues as “OJ.” “Confirmation” is set in 1991, just a few years before “OJ.”
Like “People v OJ Simpson,” “Confirmation” features great actors playing real people. Here’s Kerry Washington as Anita Hill, who famously accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in 1991.
“The Wire” veteran Wendell Pierce plays Clarence Thomas in “Confirmation.”
Greg Kinnear plays Sen. Joseph Biden. (Wonder whatever happened to him.)
“Straight Outta Compton” provides context about the resentment many African-Americans felt toward the LAPD in the years leading up to the O.J. Simpson trial.
Honorable mention: For a fascinating time capsule, you could also watch “The OJ Simpson” story, a TV movie produced in the midst of the OJ Simpson trial. It’s viewable in its entirety right here.
Maybe you don’t want to watch anything — you just want to read up on what “The People v OJ Simpson” got right and what “The People v OJ Simpson” got wrong and why the writers made things up. Click on the links.
