Directions:
In an initial post, answer all of the following questions from the Vh1 "LA Riots" documentary:
- What were the two significant events that ignited the LA Riots in 1992? Why was each of those cases significant for the Black Angeleno community as a whole?
- How were the verdicts of the Simi Valley cops and Soon Ja Du both reflective of a larger institutional problem with how justice was served for these acts, which were both caught on camera.
- Comment on the news coverage of the violence of the rioters, rather than the response as violent resistance (meaning, that it happened as a result of an action, not that this violence was started first from the rioters)
- How did the communities of color ('people of color') react to one another during the riots?
- Was there any reconciliation that was accomplished after the riots were over?
- Does the LA riot remind you of any recent (or historical past) conflicts? Which ones, and why? Explain your position.
- What is the social contract? (Not discussed in the film, but the short YouTube clip is linked in Canvas). How was the social contract not upheld, and how does that shape the events that happened during the riots?
- How did music serve as an outlet for the members of the oppressed communities in LA? How is music and/or rioting a language for the ignored?
part 2
Then, answer one of the following questions
- In what ways were the cameras that caught the Simi Valley cops, and Soon Ja Du, reflective of the narrative that even with evidence, the verdicts would be what they were? How do we see that still happening today?
- How did redlining create an environment in which the oppressed were all already congregated in one area?
- What role does community organizing have for us in the 2020s? Look up and share community-based groups in San Diego, share their website or social media handle, and explain what it is that they do for the communities that they serve (no politicians or larger known groups like Red Cross or Father Joe's! Only grassroots!)