O.J. Simpson is not a hero to most....

As we all know yesterday, O.J. Simpson was granted parole for his armed robbery bid he served in Nevada for the last nine years. He was a saint behind the prison walls, taking stop the violence classes along with being the commissioner of the softball league.

O.J. will come out as a 70 year old, basically serving time for a sentence that he wasn't given for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. He was found not guilty in that case, but guilty in the eyes of the public. He also lost a civil suit to the Goldman family.

Ten years later, he was caught in a situation of obtaining his "stuff" back. O.J. got into a situation in which he could not get out of. He associated himself with some guys who did not have his best interest. Obviously, O.J. messed up and paid for it.

There have been documentaries about his life and the trial of the century. There have been books also. Everyone has a take on what really happened in June 1994. Did he really kill those people? Was it drug dealers who were looking for their money? What was the motive? Who are the real killers or killer?

Nobody will ever know. The LAPD thought they knew. Marcia Clark thought she knew. Christopher Darden thought he knew. The only people that know are the ones who were there. There was enough evidence on O.J. to assume that he did it; however, the crime scene investigation was so tainted that no one could find him guilty.

O.J. has been as elusive in real life as he was on the football field. When you try and destroy him, it does not work. He goes to prison and basically becomes the mayor. Everyone loves him. He could have served those 30 years and would have been heralded like Red or Andy Dufresne from Shawshank.

A lot has been made about O.J. turning his back on the Black community. Some view him as a sellout for marrying and dating white women after being married to a Black woman. Some say he has not spoken out about issues in the Black community. Some say that he does not think he's Black at all. Even Jay-Z made a song about it.

I think this is where people get confused and expect a certain person to act a certain way. If you go back to statement that was made back when O.J. was a rookie (1969), it is taken out of context. There was a woman who said, "What is O.J. doing at the table with a bunch of n*****?" O.J basically said that was a good thing because they didn't see him as Black, but as O.J.

Now, if you're Black, you know you are Black. I am pretty sure O.J. checks Black on a job application. (O.J. doesn't need a job). You go to the mirror every morning and know it. You walk down the street and know it.

However, you are a person. I am Rico Campbell. I'm Black, but I'm Rico Campbell. I'm Rico Campbell first. You might see me as Black, but I'm Rico Campbell. I'm my own man. I go where I want to go and I do what I want to do. I do not go where I am not wanted.

I think that is what O.J. was saying. "They don't see me as just another n*****." I don't think he was looking for acceptance. He felt like he was above it all. He had money. He had fame. He was good looking. He was good at his craft. He had it all. The same thing he experienced is what Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson has experienced. People never refer to them as Black. They just say MJ or Michael. Everyone knows who you are talking about. However, everyone else in society is known as Black, Fessor, Boss, Sport, Buck or anything else. Think about it, if you're Black, when was the last time someone gave you a noun (your name) instead of an adjective (Black)? Never considered anything but a color. Even Chris Rock spoke about it.

In sports, we see this all the time on TV. The announcers will say that a team is fundamentally-sound (predominately White-team) or a team is so athletic (Black team). If you do not believe me, just watch. They code these words to put it in your brain that one way is better than the other. However, if you look at most athletic contests, both teams have athletes (Black or White) and both teams are fundamentally sound (Black or White) if they are good teams. You will also see disciplined (White)/ undisciplined (Black). Like I said, if you don't believe me, just listen.

Isn't that what we all have been fighting for? Not to be seen by color, but as who we are? To walk into a job interview and be given a job on what you can do for the company, not your hairstyle or appearance? How would you describe the Golden State Warriors (fundamentally sound or undisciplined)? You wouldn't. You don't even see color when you see Golden State. However, if it was the Fab Five from Michigan or Bobby Knight's Indiana teams, you would see it. How do you see LeBron James?

I think that is the problem with society and why we have so much division. We only see the color and not the person. Think about all of these unarmed citizens who have been shot by the police. Think about all of these motorists who have been profiled. You would not know it if you have not experienced it. So people who have not been targeted will say Blue Lives Matter or that All Lives Matter. They do not see what other Blacks have gone through. They think that racism is gone because we had a Black president. It still exists. People still want to keep their territory. Racism is a fight over territory. One group has said that we are going to block you from what we feel should be ours. That can be taken for any race. You can love your race, but at the same time, you do not have to hate the other races. However, some people only love theirs, and hate or do not want to understand the rest of them.

Even O.J. is eventually seen as Black. When the playing days are over and you are not a celebrity, then you become Black again. It seems that if you are in that space as an entertainer or athlete, you are in that space where race does not matter. People forget that O.J. was heralded during his playing career. He was in the commercials. He was on T.V. People adored him. This was all before the Trial of the Century. That's when everything changed.

Nobody had a problem with who Colin Kapernick was until he announced that he was kneeling during the National Anthem because of the treatment of Black in this country. Before that, he was a guy who had led his team a play away from winning the SuperBowl to being benched. His protest has fallen on death ears because patriotism trumps what is right and what is just. People care more about a symbol than they care about innocent people being killed without cause. That is why he was kneeling. He doesn't hate America. He hates that innocent people are being killed instead of being apprehended by police. America is caught up in flags and monuments, but not the people. We would rather go 10,000 miles for mission trip or fight a war, but not help people in our own community.

The NFL is a contradiction unto itself. In the public, they do a lot for the community, but internally they do not even protect their own players. They play under contracts that are not guaranteed. They have experienced concussions for years. They play judge and jury for off the field matters. The owners and league have blackballed players while allowing others to continue to play.

At the hearing yesterday, the commentators were appalled that O.J. and his lawyer were joking around with others. They felt that the he should be a boy, shut up and be humble. People want to keep folks in their place. "You're at a parole hearing. You need to just answer the questions." That's O.J. Being locked up doesn't change that. He is his own man and I think that is what people have a problem with, both Black and White.

The same can go with Lavar Ball, Richard Williams, or anyone else who has done it their way without apology. However, you have seen the track record of the Ball and Williams families. The Balls have been successful at basketball (having three sons committed to UCLA (one in the pros, one currently at UCLA, and one currently a junior in high school) and the Williams have dominated tennis for over 20 years. Their way worked for them.

There are three divides in this country; Blacks vs Blacks, Blacks vs Whites, and you against yourself. You are either not Black enough, not woke enough, or not street enough these days in the Black community. I have been accused for acting White by making good grades, going on vacation, or staying out of trouble. If I would have chosen to participate in golf, swimming, or tennis, I would have been labeled for that too.

It even comes down to religion. Some are Christians, some are Muslims. Some do not believe in God. Some think the Bible is fake. I do not understand the divide or the point that people want to prove that their religion is better than yours. Choose your God and keep it moving. I do not understand why people terrorize people and say God told them to do it. It does not make sense.

Blacks and Whites have still yet to understand each other. Some have and they have great relationships, but others have not. It is all about perspective and point of view. We both come from different cultures and you have to understand the culture and tear down the wall to understand the other one. You will have people like Dr. Umar Johnson saying that we should not marry each other because we do not understand each other. What better way to end discrimination and racism by marrying someone from another race? Whoever you marry however, should have your back and understand your history and struggle.

You have some that say we should have never integrated, that segregation should still exist and that each community to keep to themselves. Black banks, Black businesses, Black schools....Why did the Black community go away from this after integration? Why did they abandon the HBCUs for PWCs? You can receive the same type of education at most state schools. Some may have better programs in certain areas or better athletic programs, but at the end of the day, you have a bachelor's degree. I can tell you for a fact that on the job, that does not matter. Regardless if you went to Duke or Fort Valley, you better know how to do your job or run your business. You better know how to treat people and get along with folks from all walks of life. Savannah State prepared us well.

The battle most of us face is in the mirror. We are trying to be something that we think society wants us to be instead of living by our own principles and morals. We live for the Joneses or Kardashians. We are a copy cat society.

There will continue to be incidents that take place in society and everyone will take a stance. Some will not care at all. Some will say if you do not vote, you cannot complain. Another person will get killed by the police. Another person will claim they have been discriminated against. People will get offended by the N-word. The same things have been going on forever.

Will it ever stop? No. It is because people do not take the time to know each other. It is because people are stuck in tradition. We have some Whites that think Black should be second and we have some Blacks that think Whites are the devil. It will not change.

I attended a majority-White high school, a majority Black college, and have worked in mixed environments in government and education. It has allowed me to understand people from different races, ages, and backgrounds. I appreciate my diverse experience and have friends and colleagues from every background I have come across. I can be who I am and not have to change for anyone. It has not come without favortism, sexism, racism, or any other ism. I just chalk it up as experience.

Here is some advice for you want-to-be activists. People who form committees, stay away from them. You have to be willing to fight your own battles and to confront them head on. If you feel mistreated, go to the source. If it is a place of business, don't shop there anymore. If it is another person and it can't be resolved, wipe your feet off and keep pushing. Life is too short for hate and I refuse to live in the past. I can love people from a distance or from Facebook.

Most of the protests last for a night without any real strategy or objective. People are just hurt, but are unwilling collectively to make a change. Committee members have their own agendas. Be careful about hoping on a bandwagon, because the wheels might fall off and you will be left with the horse. Be careful of accusing people of racism when you were not a witness. However, when it is right, stand up for yourself and be willing to stand up for others.

The Civil Rights Movement was a movement on many fronts. All groups did not agree (even the Blacks on how it should be done). Some felt it should be taken by force, while others felt that we should take a non-violent approach. Whatever the case may be, a certain group was able to stick together and see it through to obtain equal rights in this country. Like I said before, we still experience ism (racism, sexism, ageism, etc.) and always will. No law can change that.

Back to O.J. It is time to put the O.J. saga to bed. He is going to enjoy the rest of his life regardless of how you feel or what you feel it deserves. You can't retry him. It's over. Deal with it.