1960s Watts Riots

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In the 1990s a series of riots and racial tension among the African American community was evident. In 1991, many people were stunned to see footage of a CHP police officer brutality beating a young African American named Rodney King, who was being chased by police for driving under the influence. The trial of Rodney King was held in Simi Valley, a white community. In 1992 the officer involved in the beating was found not guilty. The response from the African American community was terrifying and revealed the ways in which race divided Los Angeles, similarly like the 1960s Watts Riots. A serious a looting and mass violence swept Southern California. That same year, a Korean grocery woman named Soon Ja Du argued with an African American teenager

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