The event I will be examining is the 1992 LA riot. This was when South Central erupted after hearing the not guilty verdict of Rodney King, an African American motorist who was beaten by four police officers for no apparent reason and the beating was caught on video tape. The trial was held with no African American jurors in Simi Valley, a conservative and mainly white enclave in the Los Angeles area. The riots caused nearly $1 billion in property damage, lasted for six days and resulted in extreme devastation of many businesses in Los Angeles. The fires from the riots even blocked out the sun for a few days.
While the riots certainly were damaging, I will be examining the root cause. Was it more than just the Rodney King verdict that caused LA to erupt and create extensive damage? In my research, I will be examining other causes of the riots, how the rebuilding after the riots was handled and how to prevent future riots.
LA Riots
Good topic to examine. The 1992 LA riots go far deeper than the verdict for Rodney King. You could mention the effects of disproportional income based on race or status, that it creates a tension that will eventually be released physically.
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