In 1992, riots erupted in Los Angeles after four white police officers were acquitted after beating Rodney King.  

Less than three hours after the verdicts were announced, unrest began in the city, NPR reported. Roads were blocked, drivers were attacked and by the next day, hundreds of fires were burning across the city. President George Bush ordered military troops and riot-trained federal officers to Los Angeles to regain control. 
 

According to the History Channel, after three days of chaos, more than 60 people were killed, 2,000 were injured, and thousands were arrested. The city suffered $1 billion in property damage after more than 3,000 buildings were burned.  

Lora Dene King, Rodney King’s daughter, reflected on the 29-year-anniversary of the riots. 

She joined Start Your Day with Sharon Reed and Mike Hill to discuss how today’s police killings trigger the trauma she experienced as a child watching the video of her father’s beating. 
 

King said the only thing that has changed is that victims of police violence are memorialized through hashtags.  

Rodney King’s daughter, Lora Dene King appeared on #StartYourDay to talk about racial injustice, policing, and police brutality. When asked by @SharonReedLive what the biggest differences were back then with her father and now are, she said, “The name. The name that’s it.” pic.twitter.com/06uRRUgcQc

— BNC (@BNCNews) April 29, 2021

 King was eight years old when her father was beaten. She became emotional when thinking about George Floyd’s young daughter Gianna.  

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When asked what advice she would give to Gianna, she said, “I wish, I wish there was something I could, but that’s something between her and God. Her mom won’t even help her. God is the only person that can help her.”  

King is the CEO of the Rodney King Foundation, which works to promote positive race relations and achieve social justice.