This one may be shorter than normal, because I don't know how much I'll have to say. We shall see.
1991. Cops have beaten King mercilessly for almost a minute and a half, which we see on videotape. Some of us are horrified. Some of us are not. I think everyone knows the plethora of emotions and reactions that different segments of the population had - which were only heightened by the later verdict that allowed the four officers to walk.
Black people (generally speaking) saw the entire situation as a reminder of the racial caste system that has - yes, 'has': not 'had' - always been present in America. To their credit, I think most white people saw issue with the whole thing as well. I'm not sure they extrapolated the verdict to the extent that black people did, but they understood the problem that the Rodney King situation identified for some and highlighted for others.
