On June 13, 1994 in the affluent neighborhood of Brentwood in the Los Angeles area, two individuals were found murdered. Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson, ex-wife to former football player Orenthal James Simpson. Simpson was immediately considered to be a suspect, being brought in for questioning. However, it was soon found that Simpson's DNA appeared at the crime scene, and the LAPD soon issued a warrant for his arrest. Simpson arranged for one of the strongest teams of attorneys in the field, consisting of Robert Shapiro, F. Lee Bailey, Johnnie Cochran, and Robert Kardashian to name a few. The trial began with jury selections in November of 1994, opening statements the following January, and finally a verdict of not guilty in October of 1995.

FX's new original show, "American Crime Story: the People Vs O.J Simpson" has once again brought the trial into the spotlight, and has the public still wondering "did he or didn't he?" It depicts the events of the trials and in doing so a new generation that did not experience the media frenzy or situation are able to learn and become familiar. Some say they don't care about the trial, that they had enough of it when it aired and don't see its relevance once again in today's society. However, what the O.J Simpson trial was truly about was not only the fight to bring justice to the families of the deceased, but it brought light to the topics of wealth, race, and sexism.

To this day there has never been a trial or case that has obtained as much attention from the media, and been broadcasted to the public. Many people raced home from work to see the coverage of the trial, part of it was because of the celebrity factor, but also due to the fascination with the murders themselves. From the beginning, even when Simpson was first announced as a suspect in the murder, it was clear that because of his recognition and status it would in no possible way be a normal case. Instead of taking him in as soon as they had enough evidence, the LAPD granted Simpson a not so usual option of coming in at 11 a.m. to turn him in himself. This usually does not occur when dealing with a murder case. Even after the Bronco chase after returning to his home, Simpson was able to call his mother, and police officer brought him orange juice. One could say there was much evidence pointing to Simpson for committing the murder, but he did have some of the best attorneys in the business and that led to an outrage from the American public that possibly money or even celebrity status could get you out of murder. There have been many polls done by news outlets such as CNN and USA Today, one of them saying that 73 percent of people think Simpson would have been found guilty if it wasn’t for the wealth factor. People began to think that if money has something to do with whether or not you’re guilty of something, poverty will ensure you injustice.

Race was also perhaps the most prevalent factor brought forth during the trial, and that there was still a division between the races in the United States. Most whites believed Simpson committed the murders, while most African Americans believed he did not commit them. Some of the controversy with the trial was that the jury was made up of mostly African Americans, which many, mostly the white population, thought was the reason of why Simpson was found not guilty. They believed that the defense had played the race card throughout the trial, their argument being that Simpson was framed by the LAPD due to the color of his skin. People also felt the jurors would take this chance to declare Simpson, a black man, not guilty while in the past most black men are found guilty of their crime due to the white majority often found in cases. Another poll done by “Gallup” showed that 78 percent of the African Americans they polled, believed the verdict of not guilty was correct, while only 42 percent of the whites they polled believed the verdict was right. With this case we see racial tensions much of the public thought was over and no longer an issue.

In regards to this trial, many don't think of there ever being an issue of sexism or gender inequality. However, prosecutor Marcia Clark felt the backlash of these issues everyday during the trial. In what you would assume to be a normal case, she was constantly tormented by the media and even the public on her hair, clothing, and aggressive attitude solely because she was a woman. Yes, of course Simpson was perhaps talked about in certain circumstances this way during the trial, but no other attorney was ridiculed in the press. In an episode of Fx's series "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" the abuse she faced is depicted in a way that makes it unbearable and cringe worthy to think someone could be treated such a way due to their gender. Clark was going through an intense divorce with the father of her two children during the time of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. In turn, Johnnie Cochran allegedly accused her of neglecting her two, young boys while the case was going on. However it's fair to point out that Cochran himself had three children that were never mentioned. Marcia Clark had worked as a civil servant for the County of Los Angeles in the District Attorney's office for ten years, winning 19 of 20 cases, and yet she was treated as an unequal amongst the others in the courtroom.

So why in 2016 is it that these issues of the O.J Simpson trial are still relevant today? We are still battling these topics everyday and just because the case ended over twenty years ago, it does not mean these problems simply vanished into thin air. In recent years we have seen many high profile, wealthy individuals who are easily acquitted for charges against them, and those with low income being put away for sometimes something as small as an unpaid parking ticket. Also, regardless of arguments, it is without saying that there is still a large issue with racism today in this country. Most of it spurring from the judicial system, and the treatment of African Americans from police officers. FX bringing up the trial again makes people look at the racial tensions, issues and say "wow, you know things aren't really much different then how they were then, maybe we can change that." It's hopefully opening up that conversation, having more and more people understand that there has to be a dramatic shift in not only racial tensions in our judicial system, but also our society.

The series also really reminds us how there has been some improvements towards sexism in the workplace, but we still have a long way to go. The way Marcia Clark was treated, is in no way professional or humane, and unfortunately there are still cases of women being ridiculed while at work. In certain areas, there's this mentality that the working women are meant to take care of the home, and the children all while managing a full time job. Then when they have any kind of difficulties juggling all of these items, they're seen as weak, or neglectful of their family and their work. Never in our society have these expectations been Not only that, but a large issue we face that has been discussed within the last couple of years is the gender gap and the inequality between men and women. This includes education, political empowerment, and perhaps the largest inequality in the United States, economic participation and opportunity.

The O.J Simpson trial although taking place 21 years ago still has an impactful role and relevance today. It has always been fascinating, and it still captures the attention of the American public the way it once did. The FX series really illustrates all of the issues regarding wealth, race and sexism within each episode. I highly suggest checking it out and giving it a try, because yes although there are some dramatizations as it is a TV show; the factual aspects are accurate, and it's really beneficial in understanding all these tensions. The whole trial was a turning point in not only the American judicial system, but also the country and it continues to spur conversation and importance into our everyday lives.