Preview

1992: The LA Riots Of 1992

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
262 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
1992: The LA Riots Of 1992
The LA Riots of 1992

The United States has faced many obstacles when it comes to growing and prospering as a nation, especially in regards to the issues of racism and police brutality. These issues led to one of the most historical events to ever take place in the USA. In April of 1992, after four white Los Angeles Police Department officers were acquitted of all charges they faced for beating an unarmed, black motorist named Rodney King in March of 1991. The people of South Central Los Angeles reacted in riots that shocked the country.

In Los Angeles, the abuse of power from police officers wasn't an uncommon subject. When the Rodney King incident occurred, it was caught on camera and aired for the first time on KTLA

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    extensively analyzes more than 500 incidents of police use-of-force covered by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times from 1981 to 1991. The incidents include but are not limited to those defined as "police brutality". Lawrence reveals the structural and cultural forces that both shape the news and allow police to define most use-of-force incidents, which occur in far greater numbers than are reported, she says. Lawrence explores the dilemma of obtaining critical media perspectives on policing policies. She examines the factors that made the coverage of the Rodney King beating so significant, particularly after the incident was captured on video.…

    • 196 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    seemed at first to be an unjustified murder of a black teen boy by a white officer started a large…

    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    to be true. In a group we tend to think singularly instead of groups of many…

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The five officers, Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno, and Rolando Solano, were taken to court soon after the incident. The Officers were acquitted of all charges, the community was furious with the outcome of the case. Protesters immediately took to the street in light of recent court decisions. The Protest did not stay peaceful for long and soon there was all out violence and crime throughout the city of Los Angeles. The black community started attacking anyone who was not black pulling. For instance, “Reginald Denny, a white truck driver, was dragged from his truck and severely beaten by several angry rioters”(Staff, 1992).Throwing rock at other race people and even pulling them out of their cars for a quick beatdown for no apparent fault of the victim. Meanwhile the chief of police was attending a fundraiser on the other side of Los Angeles. As the night came the crime start to escalate with random fire by the dozen spread throughout the city. The ironic thing is these violent protester were not burning government buildings or officers houses, instead they were burning small business of people in the struggling community. By nightfall mayor Bradley declared a “state of emergency asking california governor to send two thousand national guardsmen”(Medina,2012). Violence, fires, looting, and deaths continued to increase throughout the night. Violence spread throughout major cities in the US. Among them was Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Atlanta. The following day violence continued even though the national guard was there. Much controversy was on the issue if the national guard should use live ammunition. The National guard decided not to and the riots continued to spread. That same day Rodney king went in front of camera and plead with the citizen of Los Angles and and cities throughout the nation to keep the peace, using the famous quote…

    • 1720 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Four officers were charged with the merciless beating of Rodney King. For the first time the world got to see what it was like to be a victim of brutality? King suffered extensive and painful injuries, to include head and face trauma, skull fractures, and nerve damage. The recorded video was powerful evidence against the worst type of police brutality. This event not only proved that some police officers abused their power but also reinforced the distrust between some minority communities and law enforcement. People from all walks of life and different races all waited to see what would happen to the officers involved. As many people predicted if the officers involved were not found guilty of assault and other civil liberties violations…

    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racial tensions in the United States has been has major problem for the last few years. The multiple cases of police officers shooting African Americans have only increased these tensions. One of these cases that fueled the flames is the incident that happen back in 2013, when Officer Kerrick shot and killed Jonathan Ferrell. The actions of Officer Kerrick were wrong since he acted more in fear than any actual proof that Ferrell was going to harm…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Little Scarlet Riots

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Firstly, a police traffic stop in the watts area of Los Angeles, a largely black populated area, provided the spark that ignited rioting which lasted for six days, leaving thirty four dead, more than one thousand injured, almost four thousand arrested, and hundreds of buildings were destroyed. The riots was an explosion of raw anger against racism and brutality of the police, and the continued denial of basic civil rights to black people,. The embers of the watts riots are still burning.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 90’s was a stepping stone to the 21st century. It was a decade filled with many events centered around politics and social issues that have contributed to America’s life today in a variety of ways. One of the most well known political or social events from this decade that still has relevance today is the Rodney King case from 1991. This particular case opened doors to many milestones still affecting society today.…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    April 1992, four white police officers were acquitted of a savage beating on a man named Rodney King. This act of aggression was called a “lynching on video,” and because of this, Los Angeles was a giant mosh pit. The infamous video of Rodney King being beaten set off six days of rioting in Los Angeles and surrounding cities. Within those six days, people were killed and injured,…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The riots began with the violent arrest of Rodney King March 3, 1991, in a high-speed pursuit King drove through several red lights and stop signs; he pulled over in the Lake View Terrace.…

    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    From Senator Robert F. Kennedy to the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Cronkite took us through nearly two decades of racial and anti-war riots to…

    • 369 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This incident triggered a huge protest for the injustice of Mike Brown’s killing and gave birth to the “Black Lives Matter” moment and demonstrations all over the United States, These moments started because the officer involved in killing 18 years old Brown was not…

    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Between the centuries of the 15 and 18 hundreds, 1,2000,000 slaves were brought to North America from Africa to provide free and plentiful labor required by the plantation system, the foundation of the economy of a new united states. During the civil war Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation which freed slaves but granted him his death by assassination. During the years of 1865 through 1870, the thirteenth (nation agreed to no slavery), fourteenth (gave citizenship to slaves), and fifteenth (gave African men the right to vote) amendments were ratified. During 1875 the civil rights act occurred. During 1876 the Jim Crow Laws began, laws at the local level which preserved segregation in the south. In 1896 the Plessy vs. Ferguson case occurred, which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Jim Crow laws and segregation. In 1909 the NAACP was founded to fight for Civil Rights of minorities. During 1941-1948: Roosevelt signs an executive order, banning discrimination in federal hiring. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier being the first colored person to play major league baseball. Truman signs executive orders that results in desegregation of the armed forces. In 1954 the Brown vs. board of Education case occurred where the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools are inherently unequal and orders desegregation of public schools. In 1955, Emmett Till, a 14 year old boy who was brutally murdered in Mississippi. He was only identified by his fathers ring that he was wearing and his murderers, Roy Bryant and J.W Milam were acquitted by an all white jury. In 1957, little rock nine happened, in which there was some black kids who went to an all white school. In 1963, the march on Washington occurred. In 1964, the civil rights act was signed and Mississippi civil rights workers were killed by the kkk. During 1965, Bloody Sunday occurred, Malcolm x was assassinated, and voting rights for black men was okayed. The first…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Police brutality has been occurring for many years. In the case of Rodney King videotape recorded by a bystander captured five officers attacking King with batons more than 50 times as he struggled on the ground outside his car. The recording immediately sparked outrage among people. The anger became more intense when the officers who assaulted King were acquitted by a jury the following year. The acquittal…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1955, fourteen year old Emmett Till was tortured, beaten, and killed in Money, Mississippi. His case was a tragic injustice, without a proper investigation nor an adequate trial. In Free at Last, Mamie Mobley states,”The order came from the sheriff's office to bury that body just as soon as you can”(Hampton 41). Also, James Hicks, a reporter states, “In spite of the eyewitness testimony, the all-white jury returned a verdict of not guilty, having deliberated for one hour” (Hampton 44). The absence of justice and a proper investigation infuriated black communities throughout America. It was not until years of protest and other non-violent demonstrations that the judicial structure of America would become greater diverse and impartial. The civil rights movement consisted of many men and women making sacrifices and risking their lives for justice and equality for all. The civil rights movement, which was partially fueled by the Emmett Till case, generated possibly the greatest change to society in history, demonstrating that when people put themselves at jeopardy for the benefit of justice and equality, it is almost inevitable that society will…

    • 848 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays