This Is One Of The Most Important Moments In Recent Black History

PushBlack
April 29, 2019

When four LAPD cops were caught on camera RUTHLESSLY beating Rodney King, it shocked the nation. This up close and personal look at what police brutality means for Black America led many to expect punishment for the officers, but they were wrong.

Four white police officers who took turns beating King led to one of the most infamous uprisings in history. We know them as the LA Riots, but the event was more than the chaos and looting it’s often portrayed as in mainstream media.

 

As the National Guard was called in and a state of emergency was declared, gangs called a truce, finding common ground in fighting back. Much like today, people simply couldn’t believe that such blatant brutality was allowed to go unpunished.

Today we might compare what happened in LA to what happened after Mike Brown’s killing in Ferguson; Freddie Gray in Baltimore; or Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Though people weren’t necessarily saying “Black Lives Matter” then, they were making their voices heard.

Today, we’ve built a much more inclusive movement against police brutality. We’re no longer only recognizing Black men as victims of these injustices. We’re fighing for Black women and our Black LGBTQ family too. The struggle is still going on, but we’re fighting TOGETHER!

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