Simpson’s Anti-Violence Role ‘Is Absurd, a Mockery’

TAMMY BRUCE resigned in May as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women after being criticized for her outspoken statements about the O.J. Simpson case. She and Denise Brown, sister of Nicole Brown Simpson, have formed the Women’s Progress Alliance, which they describe as dedicated to improving the lives of women and children. She also spoke to Trin Yarborough.

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The fist that strikes a woman, and the woman it injures, can be white, black or brown. We all know domestic violence is colorblind. Yet after I organized a couple of demonstrations against O.J. Simpson, denouncing him as a wife batterer, I became the focus of a lot of anger from some in the black community. They accused me of demonizing the image of black men. They wanted to know why I was focusing on Simpson instead of all the white batterers.

The men in power in every community fear the power of women united. They want to keep women divided against one another, using different bases like race. I’ve heard of the so-called circle-the-wagons philosophy discussed by some black theorists. The idea is that the black community is so embattled from attacks and pressures from other groups--mainstream white society especially--that blacks need to stick together at all costs, including keeping silent about problems within their group, including domestic violence.

That’s just like a typical battering home: the battered woman is made to feel ashamed as her batterer blames her for the problem, and pressures her to keep what he’s doing a secret from the world outside.

Many black women have told me quietly that they can’t speak out about this problem within their own community. Well I say they deserve better than that, and that women don’t have to “take it” so men can succeed. We have to quit gaining power by walking on the back of someone else.

As for O.J. Simpson being some sort of spokesman on domestic violence, I say the women in that community should expect more for themselves. There are many good black men who could be true role models. If Simpson wants to prove his sincerity now he first has to confess that he beats women--something he’s never faced up to--then apologize to everyone else for lying about it. Then [he would have to] get psychiatric treatment, at least through a batterer’s program. Until then, his talk about wanting to end violence is absurd, a mockery.

I know our organization is dealing with a resistance from some African Americans right now, but we will overcome this through our work for all women. We will take on whoever the “bad guys” are. We’ll act with equity and we will never back down and abandon any group of women because of pressure or accusations.

We want black men to know we understand that the bad guys among them are few and far between. We Angelenos have been through a lot together these past few years, and it’s made us question things, which is good. But we mustn’t allow hateful rhetoric to make us lose sight of what is right and what is wrong. It’s wrong to batter women and it’s wrong to cover it up.