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Subscribe to RSSTwenty years after his almost-deadly beating, Rodney King reflects on the LA riots and gives his perspective on the killing of Trayvon Martin.
Twenty years ago this weekend, riots broke out in Los Angeles – and spread to other cities – after a California jury acquitted three white and one Hispanic Los Angeles police officers in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King.
The riots that erupted on April 29, 1992, were among the most lethal in U.S. history. By the time order was restored, 53 people had died, nearly 3,000 people were injured and thousands of businesses were damaged or destroyed.
In one of the most searing images beamed into living rooms across the country from the disturbance, a mostly black mob enraged by the acquittal dragged white truck driver Reginald Denny from his cab at a south Los Angeles intersection and beat him unconscious while news helicopters hovered overhead.
Nearly a year later, a federal jury convicted two of the police officers of a federal charge of violating King’s civil rights and sentenced them to 30 months in prison. Two other officers were acquitted. King eventually received a $3.8 million settlement from the city, and the case led to sweeping changes in LAPD.
More recently, King has been promoting his just-published memoir, "The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption."
AP Photo/George Holliday/Courtesy of KTLA Los Angeles
The beating of Rodney King by a group of Los Angeles police officers was captured on videotape by a citizen.
As Los Angeles, and the nation, reflects on the anniversary this weekend, many are asking the same plaintive question King uttered on the steps of city hall during the riots two decades ago: "Can we all get along?"
Many seem to agree that the city is safer today and relations between ethnic groups have improved. A recent poll of Los Angeles residents by the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University found that most say L.A. is unlikely to see a repeat of such riots in the coming years.
KNBC's Lucy Noland talks with three people whose lives were deeply affected by the 1992 LA riots.
NBCLosAngeles.com has a special package of stories and videos about the 20th anniversary of the riots here.
Do you think race relations have improved? Take the poll below and then join the discussion on Facebook.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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He's certainly no hero of mine. The city paid him 3.8 million 20 years ago, too bad he didn't pay in forward. I quess he has been to busy over the years getting pulled over for other driving offensives because you know he's still above the law.
I was living in Pasadena and working in No. Hollywood at the time the riots started. It was a very scary time for alot of us. I can still remember the sky being almost blacked out because of all the fires. Taking almost 2 hours to get to and from work because of all the traffic. My neighbor were sitting up all night with shot guns in hand incase any looters decided to come visit. I understand that Rodney King is going to marry on of the jurors...How ironic. He's no hero, the filming crew was at the right place at the right time. He didn't deserve any of the money he received. It should have been donated to charity. Im not saying that LAPD was right in what REALLY happened, for that we will never know. Some policemen think they are above the law. As far as the riots, Darryl Gates knew that this was going to happen, and tried to give warnings, but no one would listen to him, may he RIP.
Rodney King was a big bad man well known to police. The police had him down and were not going to let him up to create havoc. Ever since the bad guys get the break and the good guy get the ax. Rodney King was a louse and deserved what he was getting. The police were doing their very tough job, period.
Abuse happens with every race. The race card can maybe be squashed a bit if only someone like Rodney there that still seems to get the attention and got that load of money to just blow it away should be held to be a spokesperson to let young ones know to be responsible for their actions regardless of race. Could he maybe have prevented bad cops of getting him beat-up? I would say probably YES...why not obey the command of any police officer that wants to stop you from drunk driving? How many times does any person get to have to be stopped from doing such a hazardous thing??
But than on the other hand suppose those cops where just plain BAD, racist or thinking they are super-empowered..so Rodney inadvertantly got beat-up and got the attention and now after a horrible riot that put businesses out of much hard earned money, killed so many and mamed an innocent guy that got it worse then himself...is Rodney there any good example to lessen such things to not re-occur? Should the hard working upright citizens riot and mame them that love to riot to get the attention that one should be OKed to not have to learn to be responsible even in some small ways? Why do not the black brothers speak up and say that was a horrible way to bring on the attention, and this is now the guy that should make things right after these wrongs even in his drunken small irresponsiblities? Don't drink and drive or at least stop and if still gets beaten-up then report in groups but stop all the riots, they cost the real upright citizens more than just mental anquish. Those that riot too like the ones maybe in power and abuse the power should be spoken against equally OR we have a country full of irresponsible citizens that take away the rights of those that obey the law.
Does it really matter what he did with his money, if he did blow it it was his to do so
After all the civil rights work, it only took 3 years to undo it all. Things have definitely taken a serious turn for the worst. Why are our public officials sturring this up? I have my ideas and they are not good for ordinary citizens black or white.
Yup, Rodney has certainly been busy since 1992.
Rodney Glen King, born April 2, 1965 in Fort Worth, Texas, has reportedly had several brushes with the law over the years.
In 2004, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of the drug PCP after he lost control of his SUV in 2003 and slammed into a power pole in Rialto. And in 2005, he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.
who said that he was a idol citizen, no one, this just proves that he's still human and life went on, goes on in the world everyday
Why is it that only black CRIMINALS are the ones being victimized? Rodney King was a convicted felon who robbed a store and was driving while intoxicated. Trayvon Martin was a young "wanna be" gangsta who was suspended from school for 10 days; they have not released why he was suspended because they do not want to show what kind of person he truly was. Also, there has been twitter and facebook postings shown that reveal he was a drug dealer.
Here is a helpful suggestion to all races... you cannot cry hate crime whenever you have been caught in the act of a crime and then resist. Sure maybe Trayvon wasn't committing a crime at the time, but he did attack Zimmerman when Zimmerman approached him.
These criminals sicken me and when they cry hate crime I puke.
We don't really know what happened but I believe in Occam's razor. People want to add in all this other stuff against George but not against Trayvon, why? Its because he's viewed as an Innocent by the media to create buzz and get ratings. Little kid out buying skittles scared of the big mean 5'8 250lb(more like 180) Hispanic man in a white neighborhood. They make it seam like David and Goliath but in reality its really reversed, they left out Trayvon was 17 not 14yo was athletic and taller than George. I know I was at my strongest at 17-18yo, playing football, lifting weights! What about the rest of you?!
were these twitter and facebook pictures people posted are just words from other people who assuming just like you
The white people have been conditioned for the last 30 years to never say anything bad about blacks for fear of being called a racist, we'd rather be called a pedophile than a racist, and the race baiters have taken full advantage of this, its the blacks get out of jail free card, just cry racism and watch the white people cower. Maybe the whites are getting a little tired of cowering. If Jesse, Al, and the rest of them want a war, the good thing is that it wont last long.
After Trayvon's Death, his facebook and twitter acounts were both deactivated... why? I wonder. I have had two friends die in the past year and their accounts are still open. (many of us still Facebook them because it helps with the grieving process) After Trayvon's accounts were deactivated, a hacker found Trayvon's previous posts still inside the system. However, some claim that the hacker is a Neo-Nazi Racists. Why do they call him that? Why is it that anyone who is not on Trayvon's side is automatically assumed to be racist? Even though Trayvon's death is tragic, I still do not believe that it was a hate crime.
Here are a couple of sites so you can see his posts. Or you can research it yourself.
Stressful times they were... I remember on the second day the riots broke out, from my office building window you could see the fires getting closer and closer. And the traffic helicopters suddenly switched from broadcasting SIG alerts to *IG alerts!
Sandungo...
Actually, except for the folks that got hurt by the rioters, I was laughing my A$$ off. I always wondered WHY the people that were rioting were burning their own neighborhoods. I could only surmise it was to steal all they could and then try to burn the evidence.
"Damn son... that was MY effin wheels you just torched."
"Oop's, sorry dad."
Detroit riots everyone burned there own city and businesses as well.
Damn! Is my television 20 years old already? Come on, Trayvon trial.
it will happen!
Rodney King had part of it right, "Can't we all just get along?", evidently not. The violence against Asian shop owners because those rioting were filled with envy was disgusting. Whenever anyone uses their race, religion, economic or political beliefs as an excuse for bad behavior and focuses that blame on another for their problems just makes the situation worse. Skin color has nothing to do with brain power and ability rather the culture in our homes, the way we raise our children, the education system, the conversation in our houses of worship and at the local barber shop either add to the problem or provide an uplifting source of encouragement to respect others persons, property and beliefs. That my friends is the America I believe in!
The violence against Reginald Denny was far worse than what happened to Rodney King. I know what Rodney King did before he got his a$$ kicked but what did Reginald Denny do to earn his beating?
Reginald Denny is white!
Denny stopped in the middle of the street. Antoine Miller opened the truck door, giving others the chance to pull Denny out. Another man, Henry Keith Watson, then held Denny's head down with his foot. Denny was kicked in the abdomen by an unidentifed man. Two other unidentified men who had led a liquor store break-in earlier that day hurled a five-pound piece of medical equipment at Denny's head and hit him three times with a claw hammer. Damian Williams then threw a slab of concrete at Denny's head and knocked him unconscious.
Williams then did a victory dance over Denny. He then flashed gang signs at news helicopters, which were televising the events live, and pointed and laughed at Denny. Anthony Brown then spat on Denny and left with Williams.
I think those who lead cops on a high-speed chase should be removed from the vehicle and beaten to a pulp. I don't care what color they are. That is the only thing I really learned from the whole incident. Oh yeah, don't drive through a group of black rioters if you are white. So I learned two things. What else could you learn from that debacle?
The people who attacked Mr. Denny should have been publicly executed. They were rabid animals and should have been treated as such.
Why don't they show the pic the LA riots instead of that beating? This isn't Rodney Kings beating anniversary! I can tell you why but then id be called names. Just ask yourself what image you remember when you think of the LA Riots. When I think of the riots I remember that trucker pulled out of his rig and beat almost to death!
Get ready for another senseless riot because George Zimmerman (a Hispanic man, a man of color) will walk free!!! Ask your self what race will be rioting the most and then ask yourself if race relations have gotten any better. The trayvon incident is proof a certain group of people wont get past it. NO LIMIT $%#$!
Most $hitty NBC...
Can't help yourselves can you? You'll do ANYTHING for ratings and ANYTHING to get the race baiters on both sides to take swipes at each other.
Is the ENTIRE purpose of MSNBC to promote racist rhetorical diatribes to further incite the people?
Apparently.
So MSN stokes the racial fire with every issue that gives them a chance. Now they want to know if we think it's better or worse?
The race riots are created to loot. Any excuse will do for anarchists.
If Milwaukee last year is any indication, nooooooooo.
Let's see, we have the media (this news site namely) stirring the pot with the Trayvon Martin ordeal, our politicians flocking to it to take advantage of it, coupled with stories like Matthew Owens getting buried. Sort of similar to 20 years back with Rodney King and Reginald Denny. Nope, nothing's changed.
When Zimmerman is found innocent, I'm sure they'll be more riots full of people looking for free TV's too.
I would like to think relationships are better. I firmly believe if Left wing publications like MSNBC and its clone, MSN, would stop trying to stir up the races with stupid articles like this, all of us would do better.
Since we have had a black man elected as president, it seems as if the white supremacists have really begun to speak out negatively about the black race. I believe there are some whites who are not racists but there are a LOT of them existing today that are very racist.
I am curious.
91% of black people voted for the black candidate and 47% of white people voted for the black candidate.
Who are the racists again?
There's not a single person alive on this earth that isn't prejudiced. And that's a fact.
very well spoken
If Zimmerman is found not guilty and the blacks riot, it will be open season, whites are not going to back down this time, if blacks dont burn their own neighborhoods, whites will do it for them. Enough is enough, if its war you want, be careful for what you wish for.
So how much money did Reginald Denny get for having his head smashed in from rioting monkeys? How many more times was Rodney King arrested? Why does MSNBC toss in the race card everytime they talk about Obama?
Unfortunatelly the question is not if, but when will another one of these riots happen. Unless we can either civilize or confine these raging animals who are in some cases more primitive then their native African "brothers", this is guaranteed to happen again. MLK may have had a dream, but it sure gave us a nightmare!!!