The publicity surrounding the case was huge, as the incident had been caught on camera by a Mr George Holiday. Many more people knew about the case in 1992 than they would have in the 1960’s. Sky and cable T.V had been introduced and everyone all over the world would have heard about it and seen the evidence from the tape.
On the 15th of may 1991 an independent commission came out with the verdict that the L.A.P.D used excessive force and institutionalised racism. They recommended the resignation of police Chief Daryl Gates.
In April 1992 the four police officers in the Rodney King case where cleared for assault. Within hours of the verdict violence erupted across all the cities in America. A year later a second trail was held on federal charges of violating Rodney Kings civil rights. Stacy Koon and Lawrence Powell where found guilty and received 30 month jail terms, Timothy Wind and Theodore Brissendo where cleared. Rodney King won 3.8 million dollars in damages. This shows that a Black person could actually gain compensation the Black riots must have had a huge effect on the decision. Although the sentences passed were very short.
In the autumn of 1991 a Korean-American shot dead a young Black women for shoplifting this aggravated and infuriated the Blacks further still and increased the racial tension more as it is yet another example of what is happening to their people and they don’t like what is happening to them and how they are being treated.
The damage left after the 1992 riots where immense. 55 people where killed over several days of rioting. 2000 people where injured and another 12000 arrested. Over one Billion dollars worth of property was damaged. On paper this sounds worse than the 60’s riots but a lot of inflation had taken place over thirty years.
In L.A there was great tension and anxiety between the Blacks and the Koreans, especially over the competition for work. White people preferred to employ Koreas as their skin is fairer than a Black persons. Koreans disliked Blacks as they where given more federal money even tough there were more Koreans living in L.A.
Blacks could not get jobs as they where poorly educated and the Koreans where slightly cleverer as they would have had a slightly better education as they looked more white, but still not a good one.
One major conflict between the Blacks and the Koreans: the Latasha Harlins case. Latasha Harlins was a young black woman who was shot dead by a Korean shop assistant after being caught shoplifting. Everyone heard of this case igniting the tensions worse. Mrs Du was sentenced to manslaughter, eleven years of imprisonment but it was lifted to probation instead of prison with community service. Judge Karlin was probably a corrupt judge. This decision sparked outrage across L.A. The tension reached an all time high after the hearing.
3.There are many similarities and differences between the Black riots in the 1960’s and in the 1990’s.
Firstly a major difference was the motivations for the riots. The reasons the 1960’s riots was that the Black people where tired and fed up of years and decades of being treated unfairly, unjustly, unequally and not having any real freedom. Blacks had gone through decades of torture, anguish and their homes being destroyed.
Where as the motivations in the 1990’s where different as the technology advances through media and T.V was so great people would know what was going on in most countries. The Jim Crow laws played a significant part in the 1960’s riots as they where fighting against segregation and these laws had been abolished by the 1990’s through the civil rights act passed in 1965.
Things had got better for the Black’s, they could now sit anywhere on a bus and drink from the same water fountains as whites but they had not improved that much.
The 1990’s riots where stimulated more by individual cases such as the Rodney King case and the Latasha Harlins case; Rodney Kings case was down to the police who treated Black’s exceptionally badly and very unfairly such as stopping them for any offence possible which was another reason the Black’s rioted as it infuriated them even more.
The new media coverage and technology with sky T.V. and satellites broadcasting the individual events was letting the whole of America and the entire world know what was happening, this was a huge difference compared to the 1960’s riots. This would have had a gigantic impact on all the people letting them see how unfairly the Black’s where being treated and made them want to do something about it.
Another similarity was the population pressures of the Black communities the overcrowding of schools and housing.
The reaction of the public in the 1990’s would not have been too dissimilar to that of the one in the 1960’s if everyone had known about it as people in the north and the rest of the world could see what was going on and maybe they would have kicked up a fuss and done something about it. Not many people did know about it and the white southerners who did turned a blind eye. But in the 90’s everyone knew and was equally disgusted with what was going on.
There were large damages caused by both riots. In the 1960’s the riots damage did not seem as bad on paper as the riots in the 1990’s as the cost of buildings and materials had gone up in thirty years due to inflation but in fact the devastation would have been similar.
The video footage dramatically changed the nature of the riots as there was actually proof and people could actually see the horrific things that where going on. This was a great difference compared to the 1960’s riots as people could see what actually happened.
One key theme that was played throughout the 1960’s and onwards has been the segregation. Another similar theme was the problem with houses Black peoples houses where not as up to date as White houses and their ablutions where not as good either. By the 1990’s the Jim crow laws had been abolished letting races mix with each other although Black’s knew that they where unwelcome in certain areas; Black’s and whites may have been able to go to similar places in public but not in their communities in which they are still separate. Poverty is yet another comparison with the riots in the 60’s and the riots in the 90’s. White areas where attractive whereas the Black communities where poverty stricken. The most obvious theme that ran in both riots and the time in between was racism.
4.Martin Luther King was a great civil rights activist who was the leading force behind the withdrawal of the segregation laws in the 1960’s. He had a great impact on America and said a very famous speech in 1963, which inspired many people. In his speech he said that I have a dream. He wanted people to be equal. ‘I have a dream that the red bulls of Georgia, the sons of slaves and the sons of former slave owners would be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood’. He didn’t want people to be judged by the colour of their skin.
People like Michael Jordan and Will Smith would have never of had a successful career in the 60’s as they would have never of had the chance. Nowadays there are many Black famous, Rich and successful people. For instance Will Smith is a rich successful actor and musician. Black people have done very well in sport too with many good basketball players like Michael Jordan which many people aspire to Black and White. Black people have done very well in music which made them popular, there have been successful Black film stars such as Samuel L Jackson there are even congress women and congress men and maybe there will one day be a Black President. These people have shown than Black people can be successful, clever, go to college and have people look up to them. So in this sense Martin Luther King’s dream has been realised by the amount of successful and proud Black people.
Martin Luther Kings dream has not been completely realised in some respects as but huge improvements have been made and things that happen now wouldn’t of happened 40 years ago.
Martin Luther King was not happy about the Emancipation Proclamation that had been ignored ion the south. The Emancipation Proclamation was a law that was passed in 1863 setting all the slaves free in America. He was unhappy about the amount of racism, segregation and discrimination against the Black’s. ‘The life of a Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination’. Here he is relating back to the Jim Crow laws.
Martin Luther King’s dream hasn’t been completely realised today although it has been greatly improved. Black’s can now use the same public transport and go to the same places alongside white people with no segregation. Many Black and white people are friends and have similar interests.
Ways in which Martin Luther King’s dream hasn’t been realised is that some Black’s are still being discriminated against such as in 1998 James Byrd Junior was murdered. He was beaten unconscious, chained to a truck and dragged across miles of rural roads.
The KKK still exists today although extremely downsized. Attacks do still occur: two white men were charged with attempted murder on a Black woman. A swastika and a KKK was sprayed on a building and a KKK cross was burned in 1998 showing that they where still around. Some companies still prefer not to employ Black people. Even though things like this still happen it is on a much smaller scale and very in frequent; but it still happens.
Modern day America has nearly reached Martin Luther King’s dream and it would have probably have become reality after the next fifty years. I think this as more and more Black people are becoming famous and popular through music, film and in the business world. S different generation of people are around and they accept Black people and even look up to some of them.
5 . Martin Luther King and Malcom X where great individuals. Both different and successful in they’re approach to improving the lives of African Americans today. Firstly Martin Luther King’s approach was more verbal than violent. Martin Luther King is mostly famous from his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech in 1963. It was a great success, which inspired many people, making them believe that things could get better and improve. The speech gave him lots of publicity and made him very famous among Black’s and whites but for different reasons.
Martin Luther King used non-violent protests. Many people wanted to make America a more free country and rebelled against many laws.
In 1955 lady did not give up her seat to a white man on a bus; the lady was later sent to prison. 99% of Black’s decides to boycott the buses, more than 18,000 Black’s refused to get on the buses. This resulted in an astronomical loss in money resulting in an outcome that segregation on buses being made illegal. This was a great success it showed that people could change things if they worked together.
Malcolm X was also a great Black individual. Malcom X’s real name was little but he changed it to X, as he wanted to rid of his old slave name. He spoke to people and visited students and told them that they should be proud to be Black. Telling people they should be proud to be Black would have made a huge complement as it would have given the Black people self confidence and the courage to be themselves.
Malcolm X believed that America was only wealthy and strong because of the slaves; he also believed that America was a white mans country.
Malcom X used aggressive language in his speeches. He said that Black is beautiful and Black is power.
Malcom X and Martin Luther King where both very successful at what they did. Together they helped stop segregation in schools and helped the Black people be able to vote. A black person not being able to vote was a huge thing as they have not been allowed to do it in the past. Being able to vote allows them to choose who they want to be in charge as well as the whites and lets their views be heard. They also helped Blacks in sport as they did well in the Olympics. Being good in sport made Black role models and Icons. Black people in the Olympics shows that they can represent their country and show the world that they are good at something and they want people to see it.
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X both worked very hard and changed the life of American Blacks, Blacks could now vote and go more or less where they want.
Martin Luther King was murdered three months after he made his famous speech in 1968. Malcom X was assassinated in 1965. You could argue that this was the consequence of them speaking out freely for the blacks as it aggravated many white people and worried them.
Overall I feel that Martin Luther King was more successful than Malcom X; Martin Luther King protested peacefully and made an impact. He made people believe that thing could change and be different and they listened to his great speeches and followed him and many people acted on what he said and stood up for themselves.
Martin Luther King in my opinion has made the biggest impact on modern day.
- I think that present attitudes are greatly influenced by attitudes and events in the past. Firstly by the impact of individuals people like Martin Luther King, Malcolm X they where both great leaders and showed Blacks
I think that the extent of present attitudes that are influenced by events and attitudes in the past are great.
Many Black people are proud and thankful of their ancestors who stood up for themselves, for if the had not the world may be a different place. Blacks and whites are now in a lot of areas in the world equal and can vote and have the same rights. In some areas of America racism still mildly exists like the south for example but it has downsized immensely.
Black people have not forgotten the historical events that have happened in fights for their freedom such as Martin Luther King’s speeches.
A lot of Black and white people live similar lives, get on and work together.
GCSE MODERN WORLD STUDY
Racism in the United States
By Miles Ward