Source: Joe Sohm/Visions of America / Getty
April 29, 1992 will forever be an infamous date in American history. The officers who brutally assaulted Rodney King in the streets of Los Angeles had all been acquitted of any wrongdoing and Black folks weren’t about to let it ride.
In a similar fashion to what we saw a few weeks ago in Minneapolis, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles and other major metropolitan cities, the violent rebellion of ’92 saw stores burned and looted, graffiti tags with political messages sprayed on buildings, police cars set ablaze, and just about any other manifestations of rage were game that day.
Showtime produced a documentary about that inspirational time in this country called Burn, Motherf***er, Burn! that examines not only this uprising but also the Watts rebellion in 1965 and how decades of racial animus lead to an event that we will most certainly see again if the trend of unjust police violence and exoneration continues.
If you need some historical context to the anger we see in the streets today then we highly suggest you watch the entire documentary below. It features commentary from local residents, artists, and community activists who all share stories of LAPD violence against Black folks.
The film is directed by Sacha Jenkins who is well-known for his writing and producing of content related to society, hip-hop, street culture, and music. If you know how Sacha gets down then that alone is plenty of reason to spend an hour-and-a-half with his art. It is also an excellent link to send to your white friends. Even the “woke” ones…
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