It was years after the civl rights movement had simmer down and it seemed like we were getting more and more used to the idea of equality everyday. EVen the modeling industry in America began to have high demands for non-white models. It certainly seemed like timers were changing and we were taking a step in the right direction. Or maybe not...
In 1992, taxi driver Rodney King was stopped and beaten by LAPD after being chased for speeding. Little did they realize they were being watched and recorded by someone not too far away in their apartment. The video was later sent in and broadcast around the world. The video shows four police officers brutally beating and striking a man while other officers stood by. It was said that parts of the video show Mr. King attacking the officers which in actuality in no part of the video does this occur. Following the incident the four officers seen beating Mr. King in the video were tried in court and were all four acquitted. This sparked outrage amongst the civilians leading to what is known as the 1992 Los Angeles Riots lasting four days, causing approximately one billion dollars in damage and killing more than 50 people. It was said to be one of the most intense civil disturbances in the history of the United States.
Some may argue that the riots were purely caused by the incident itself and the brutality of it while others may argue that it was a combination of the shock that came along with the incident, people were tired of the years of racial profiling by the police and the high unemployment rates due to the nation wide recession
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