Normandie and Florence

After the verdict for Rodney King’s trial was announced, the acquittals of the four police officers quickly spread, and protestors first congregated at the intersection of Normandie and Florence in South Los Angeles. The Black community had hoped that they would finally see some justice and accountability given the clear video evidence and media coverage. With years of racism and negligence combined with the recent events involving King and Harlins, the rapidly growing crowd began harassing other people, leading to an explosive riot. They “hurled rocks and racial insults at whites, Latinos, and Asians as they drove by” (Cannon). At the same time, members of the crowd also started vandalising, looting stores, and setting buildings on fire. 

When the LAPD first received calls regarding the violence, they did not respond immediately; the police department was not prepared nor capable of handling such large scale social unrest. Witnesses account “watching the cops drive by rioters without stopping” (Bates and Sastry). Powerless to stop the chaos, the head of the police department actually ordered deployed officers to retreat. After the police “fled the Florence-Normandie neighborhood...the crowds...became a purposeful mob that attacked, beat, and robbed helpless civilians” (Cannon). Citizens stood defenseless as they watched their homes and cities burn. Furthermore, these riots continued to spread throughout the city, becoming known as the 1992 L.A. Uprising. Left with no other options, Mayor Tom Bradley had to call for a state of emergency, where the California Governor Pete Wilson ordered 2,000 National Guard troops into the city. A city-wide curfew was also put into place to try to discourage rioters, which resulted in many arrests of African American and Latino civilians. 

The 1992 L.A. Uprising lasted for five days and resulted in “an estimated 58 dead, 2,400 injured, 11,700 arrested [and] $717 million in damages” (Abelmann and Lie). On the following morning, the curfew was lifted, and the city was allowed to go back to daily life. However, unsurprisingly, many struggled to return to their routines. The streets laid in utter ruin and many families had lost their savings due to the looting and destruction. As the South Los Angeles area before the uprising already had economic and social inequality issues, the devastation further exacerbated their struggles. While the city paid for some medical bills and started initiatives to rebuild, these projects failed to leave a lasting impression. 

Abelmann, Nancy, and John Lie. Blue Dreams: Korean Americans And the Los Angeles Riots. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1995.

Abelmann and Lie offered a deep dive into how the 1992 L.A. Uprising affected the Korean American community. They account and examine issues which previously existed and engendered Black resentment against Korean Americans. Additionally, they also describe the experiences of Korean Americans during the riots and in the aftermath as Los Angeles struggles to rebuild. 

Bates, Karen Grisby and Anjuli Sastry. “When LA Erupted In Anger: A Look Back at the Rodney King Riots.” NPR. NPR, 26 Apr. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/04/26/524744989/when-la-erupted-in-anger-a-look-back-at-the-rodney-king-riots. 

The article by Bates and Sastry gives a detailed account of what happened during the riot and how the uprising affected several different areas of South Los Angeles. 

Cannon, Lou. Official Negligence: How Rodney King And the Riots Changed Los Angeles And the LAPD. New York: Times Books, 1997.

Lou’s analysis of the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising provides a great deal of information spanning the entire timeline of the rioting, from Rodney King’s beating to the impacts the rioting had on the political environment and police department. With many direct quotes, Lou goes step by step through the riot and examines the entire event unfolding.  

Madhubuti, Haki R., 1942-. Why L.A. Happened: Implications of the '92 Los Angeles Rebellion. Chicago: Third World Press, 1993.

Madhubuti compiles a series of essays from several authors which discuss the factors that caused the Los Angeles rioting.

Mydans, Seth. “Riots In Los Angeles: Pocket of Tension; A Target of Rioters, Koreatown is Bitter, Armed, and Determined.” The New York Times Company. The New York Times, 2 May, 1992, https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/03/us/riot-los-angles-pocket-tension-target-rioters-koreatown-bitter-armed-determined.html. 

Mydans’ article accounts the personal responses of Korean Americans to the rioting of Koreatown. 

The Associated Press. “Rodney King Riot: Timeline of Key Events.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 26 Apr. 2017, apnews.com/article/fa4d04d8281443fc8db0e27d6be52081.  

The Associated Press provides a concise timeline of events outlining the uprising.