BET Networks Addresses the Climatic Racial Divide Sparked by O.J. Simpson's Acquittal with New Original BET News Documentary Special "WHO GOT THE JUICE?! THE O.J. SIMPSON TRIAL 20 YEARS LATER" Premiering on Wednesday, October 7 at 10 PM ET/PT
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sacha Jenkins (CNN's Fresh Dressed), the documentary features exclusive interviews with Star Jones, Reverend Al Sharpton, Michael Eric Dyson, Ed Gordon, Professor Marc Lamont Hill and More.
Join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #OJTrialBET
NEW YORK -- "My mother taught me, it is your character that counts not your color. I am black; do not let anyone judge you or limit you by saying you're black and you're limited," - O.J. Simpson during exclusive interview with former BET News anchor Ed Gordon shortly after Simpson's acquittal.
Twenty years after the acquittal of O.J. Simpson, BET Networks presents an unapologetic and unfiltered look at the O.J. Simpson story from the perspective of a diverse array of African Americans - including many who cheered Simpson's acquittal in 1995 with a new original documentary "WHO GOT THE JUICE?! THE O.J. SIMSPSON TRIAL 20 YEARS LATER" premiering Wednesday, October 7 at 10 PM ET/PT. The one-hour documentary, part of BET News' TRUTH SERIES, will not only examine the epic 252-day trial, one of the longest ever held in California, but more importantly, will underscore the uncomfortable truths about race, class and justice through Simpson's Shakespearean rise and fall in the eyes and hearts of Black and White Americans across the country.
From an impoverished upbringing in the housing projects of San Francisco, Orenthal James Simpson rose to become a groundbreaking African-American star who transcended race on and off the football field. Simpson's well-crafted All-American image was shattered after he was charged with the double murder of his wife and her friend. Though captivating the nation, Simpson's subsequent murder trial exposed troubling racial divisions. Black and White Americans watched the same trial - yet the majority of blacks polled at the time believed Simpson should be found innocent. The majority of whites disagreed.
"'WHO GOT THE JUICE?!'" gets to the core of the broad range of perspectives African Americans have surrounding the O.J. Simpson trial. Our on-camera subjects were very honest about their feelings; the sentiments expressed in the doc are the sentiments that are often thought, but rarely articulated in a public forum," said Juice's director, Sacha Jenkins.
The special weaves together creative animation , compelling interviews with Star Jones, Reverend Al Sharpton, Professor Michael Eric Dyson, Ed Gordon, Professor Marc Lamont Hill and Simpson Attorney Carl Douglas and archival footage including Simpson's first landmark exclusive live interview with former BET News anchor Ed Gordon, broadcast shortly after his acquittal.
"WHO GOT THE JUICE?! THE O.J. SIMSPSON TRIAL 20 YEARS LATER" is executive produced by Misha Louy for Mass Appeal and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sacha Jenkins.
For more information on the documentary log on to BET.com. Join the conversation on social media by logging on to BET's multiple social media platforms by using hashtag #OJTrialBET; and following us @BETNews.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
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