Rodney King And Latasha Harlins

Justice is among the most significant moral and political concepts. The word originates from the Latin jus, meaning “right or law”. All throughout history, injustice has been an issue each individual has experienced during his or her daily life. Even today we are still experiencing riots and protests from African-Americans in order to attain justice. In Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith, readers see an example of injustice through the Rodney King case and the shooting of Latasha Harlins. Rodney-King and Latasha Harlins experienced racial injustice, which can be described as the denial of rights based on an individual’s race or racial background. Both two victims were mistreated for the color of their skin and were stripped

Police concluded that there was no attempt to shoplift, but, the judge’s condemnation for Soon Ja Du was immensely light. The sentence that Harlin faced exacerbated racial tensions and became a symbol of what was deemed to be a double standard of justice. Rioters were livid and had burned Du’s store. There was a clear indication of injustice being served in this case. An innocent, 15-year-old girl died, and the reason was over orange juice. If Soon Ja Du was an African American, her penalty for manslaughter would have been much more rigorous. Gina Rae, a Korean male and a community activist said:
Latasha begged Mrs. Du to let her go and that she was not trying to steal orange juice and Latasha lay dead with two dollars in her hand . . . justice denied Latasha Harlins is justice denied very American citizen . . . the injustice of what happened to Rodney King, is just coincides, as there’s a parallel between Rodney and Latasha

This rally became a massive label during this period and even in today’s society. Recently there was a riot in Baltimore due to African-American, Freddie Gray, who died of severe spinal cord injury after police arrested him. The protestors marched down the streets and “chanted ‘No Justice, No Peace’” (Alcindor). The meaning behind the rallying cry, “No Justice, No Peace” was that as long as injustice prevails, acting peacefully is nothing but a mere impossibility. It is a citizen’s obligation to take a stance against injustice, even if that means the use of violence. When the African-American society feels they are being served unjustly, they will stop at no means until they acquire equal rights and opportunities. Some thoughts that may pass through their minds might be, “why should we act accordingly if we are treated unfairly.” We see two examples of complete injustice through the Rodney King case and Latasha Harlins. Countless African-Americans are rioting and will continue to do so until they feel they are receiving equal treatment from the white