Johnnie Cochran Jr. says self-reliance, not government assistance, is the answer for blacks.
Cochran, who gained fame as lead attorney of the legal team that won O.J. Simpson's acquittal on murder charges, said one way to power is through the ballot box."When you vote, you get a chance to serve on juries, and I, for one, can tell you we need you serving on juries," Cochran told 1,500 people in a speech Saturday in Bellevue, Wash., sponsored by the Puget Sound Education Chapter of Blacks in Government.
Cochran noted that blacks in the United States still face discrimination and lower standards of living than whites.
"Even though the days of slavery are long gone . . . there's still a very different reality for African-Americans in this country today," he said.