Article:
L.A. Strongly Condemns King Verdict, Riots
Frank Clifford and David Ferrell (May 6, 1992 L.A. Times)
This article provides the results of a 1992 poll conducted by the L.A. Times staff concerning public attitudes toward the trial of four LAPD officers accused of brutally beating black motorist Rodney King, and the infamous riots inspired by the acquittal of three of the accused. I selected this article because it offers valuable insight into the general social climate in Los Angeles in the wake of the riots, and reveals common viewpoints and opinions among the city's residents. How people responded and felt about the events renders this article an important piece of cultural memory. The poll's results address the different responses from white, black, and Latino residents of the city, exposing a surprising consensus among angelenos in the midst of volatile racial tension.
I chose this article in particular because I am interested in the origins of social unrest, like that which characterized the 1992 riots, as well as how its portrayal in media and news outlets shapes historical memory. The Rodney King Riots provide an especially useful example, as the news coverage that followed them helped raise public awareness concerning increased police brutality and militancy, and the reality of deeply-entrenched racism and ethnically-charged hostilities in an increasingly multi-ethnic city.
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