Brawley initially received considerable support from the African-American community.
[4] Some scholars suggested that Brawley was victimized by biased reporting that adhered to racial stereotypes.
[5][6] The mainstream media's coverage drew heated criticism from the African-American press and leaders for its treatment of the teenager.
[7] The grand jury's conclusions decreased support for Brawley and her advisers. Brawley's family has maintained that the allegations were true.
Public response to Brawley's story was at first mostly sympathetic. Actor
Bill Cosby, among others, pledged support for her and helped raise money for a legal fund. In December 1987, 1,000 people marched through the streets of
Newburgh, New York, in support of Brawley.
[9]
Brawley's claims in the case captured headlines across the country. Public rallies were held denouncing the incident. Racial tensions also climbed. When civil rights activist Rev.
Al Sharpton, with attorneys
Alton H. Maddox and
C. Vernon Mason, began handling Brawley's publicity, the case quickly took on an explosive edge. At the height of the controversy in June 1988, a poll showed a gap of 34 percentage points between blacks (51%) and whites (85%) on the question of whether she was lying.
[10]
Sharpton, Maddox, and Mason generated a national media sensation. The three claimed officials all the way up to the state government were trying to cover up defendants in the case because they were white. Specifically, they named
Steven Pagones, an Assistant District Attorney in
Dutchess County, as one of the rapists, and a racist, among other accusations.
[11]
The mainstream media's coverage drew heated criticism from the African-American press and leaders for its treatment of the teenager.
[12][13][14] They cited the leaking and publication of photos taken of her at the hospital and the revelation of her name despite her being underage.
[15] In addition, critics were concerned that Brawley had been left in the custody of her mother, stepfather and advisers, rather than being given protection by the state, and that she was used as a pawn by adults who should have protected her.
[16]
so a lot of black people reluctantly supported OJ.
