#la92

LA 92

(2017) Rated R - 114m

Previously unseen footage is shaped into a timely retelling of the 1992 Rodney King trial -- and the verdict that sparked civil unrest.

8.2/10 - IMDB

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the L.A. riots that erupted on April 29, 1992. 

Our timeline explores the history of African Americans in Los Angeles and the conditions that led to the L.A. Riots.

The 2nd Great Migration: 1940s-1970s

During the 2nd Great Migration, from 1940-1970, millions of African Americans left the segregated South for cities in the North and West during the Great Migration. The movement from the South was carried out by ordinary people making individual choices—in search of better opportunities. 

Los Angeles gained an influx of African Americans from the South and the population rose from 63,000 to over 736,000. 

Urban Housing Discrimination 

The second Great Migration would expose the racial divisions and disparities that also existed in northern cities.The new arrivals were faced with racially restrictive housing covenants. Shelley v. Kraemer overturned this practice in 1948.

Housing segregation made it more difficult to deal with issues of unemployment, education, health, and crime. As a result, racial tensions were high in poorer black neighborhoods like Watts.

Photo: sign with American flag "We want white tenants in our white community," directly opposite the Sojourner Truth homes, a new U.S. federal housing project in Detroit, Michigan. A riot was caused by white neighbors' attempts to prevent Negro tenants from moving in, Arthur S. Siegel. 

In the 1950s, street clubs formed to protect minority neighborhoods against racial violence. Young Black Angelenos formed street clubs like The Devil Hunters, The Farmers, and The Huns. 

The Civil Rights Act passed in 1964, but some states circumvented the law and kept de facto segregation in their inner cities.

Photo: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civil Rights Act as Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, look on,  Cecil Stoughton, White House Press Office.

1965 Watts Riots

Photo: Burning buildings during Watts Riots, LOC, New York World-Telegram.

Despite the 1964 Civil Rights Act, California continued to allow segregation. There were also widespread reports and complaints of police brutality in South Central, stemming from a military-like police led by Police Chief William Parker. The Watts riots of 1965—precipitated by the arrest of an African American motorist—led to violence, 34 deaths, and millions of dollars in damages. More than 34 people die, 1,000 are wounded, and millions of dollars worth of property is damaged during the unrest.

The Rise of Black Power: 1970s

Photo: Black Power, © Roderick Terry, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Roderick Terry.

Following the Watts Riots, the Black Power Movement gained national recognition. Black Power emphasized black self-reliance and self-determination more than integration. Proponents believed African Americans should secure their human rights by creating political and cultural organizations that served their interests. They insisted that African Americans should have power over their own schools, businesses, community services, and local government. They focused on combating centuries of humiliation by demonstrating self-respect and racial pride as well as celebrating the cultural accomplishments of Black people around the world. The Black Power Movement frightened most of white America and unsettled scores of Black Americans.

1992 L.A. Riots

Photo: The May 11, 1992 issue of Newsweek magazine featuring a special report on the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the documentary “Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone.”

“A riot is the language of the unheard.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

On April 29, 1992, Sgt. Stacey C. Koon and Officers Laurence M. Powell, Theodore J. Briseno, and Timothy E. Wind are acquitted of assault and use of deadly force by a jury in Simi Valley.

Fires, looting, and violence spread. Mayor Tom Bradley declares a state of emergency and Gov. Pete Wilson activates the National Guard.

Over the next few days, crowds of residents face off against hundreds of L.A. police officers and 16,000 National Guard members. 

Follow the timeline below for more information on the 1992 L.A.Riots.