The Darden Dilemma: 12 Black Writers on Justice, Race, and Conflicting Loyalties

by Ellis Cose (Editor)

Explores the stark differences in white and black perceptions of American justice in a collection of essays by twelve eminent African-American writers, scholars, and legal professionals--including Ellis Cose, Anita Hill, and Stanley Crouch. Original.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Ellis Cose is a former columnist for Newsweek, chairman of the editorial board of the New York Daily News, contributor and critic for Time, and columnist for USA Today. The author of numerous books, including the bestselling The Rage of a Privileged Class, he lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the wake of the O.J. Simpson trial, Christopher Darden both spoke out publicly and wrote a book about his experience as a black prosecutor and his role in that case. He blamed the mostly black jury for his team's loss at trial, alleging they dismissed evidence in favor of freeing a popular black figure. He also argued that his late appointment to the case was not simply an appeasement based on race, but because of his credible career as a tough prosecutor. But he also wrote about the difficulty faced by a black prosecutor, who inevitably prosecutes mostly black defendants. At the time this book was written in the late 1990s, something like 1/3 of all black men everyday in America were involved some way as targets in the criminal justice system, and mostly for non-violent, drug related offenses. This is opposed to 1/10 of whites. Though I have not seen recent figures, I would imagine they have not changed significantly if at all. Caught between white colleagues, who may harbor suspicions about ability, and the black community, who cry "uncle tom", Darden asserted black prosecutors led a lonely life as unsung heroes of the black community and the larger society as well.

Ellis Cose and 11 other black voices; prosecutors, law professors, and journalists, took critical aim at all of Darden's assertions and his role in the O.J. Simpson trial. One view point I think is missing is that of the black criminal defense attorney. What the reader gets is a not so terribly wide range of perspectives on what it means to be a black prosecutor or even a successful black person in America and the conflict of loyalties that success creates. All of them have in common the unflinching view that the American criminal justice system is not just skewed, but set up to create criminals out of black Americans. Among the essays that stand out are those by Anita Hill, Paul Butler, and Ellis Cose. But several range from sophomoric rants against Darden's views and capabilities to lists of black figures in the essayist's community striving for change.