The Darden dilemma

de Ellis Cose

After the O. J. Simpson trial, when Christopher Darden spoke out against those blacks who labeled him an "Uncle Tom" for trying to send a black man to jail, he brought to light the conflicting loyalties he felt as a black prosecutor. In The Darden Dilemma, edited and with an introduction by Ellis Cose, twelve of our finest writers, journalists, and legal professionals address the clashing allegiances of not only black prosecutors but also of black journalists, jurors, judges, police officers - even crime victims. In an age when young black men are imprisoned at astounding rates, many doubt that our justice system is as fair and color-blind as it purports to be. The diverse contributors to The Darden Dilemma speak to those doubts as they address many of the essential issues of racial identity and the justice system: from Anita Hill, on the conflicts between racial solidarity and black female autonomy; to Stanley Crouch, on the "allegiances" of the predominantly black Simpson jury; to Elijah Anderson, on the precarious balance between being a "race man" or a "sellout." Much more than an examination of the significance of the O. J. Simpson trial, The Darden Dilemma is about functioning in a world in which black and white perceptions are often at odds - and whether it's possible to bring them closer together.