Riots in America—Blacks & The Police

As the eighteenth anniversary of The 1992 Los Angeles Riots approaches, we should reflect on the conditions which gave birth to one of the most violent outbreaks of domestic civil unrest in recent history. Contrary to popular belief, the riots did not happen because of Rodney King. King's inability to receive justice was simply the focal point of the people's frustrations. After all, his beating was not an anomaly, but the symbol of police interaction with young men of color. People tried to say that King's beating was an isolated incident. The only thing isolated was that it was caught on tape. We know that in many urban areas of America, such interaction with the police is business as usual. This discussion will focus on rioting in America since the 1800s. Co-hosts, Trey Whitaker and Demetria Richardson.