The LA riots of 1992 and the first Selma to Montgomery march on March 7, 1965 are united by the reasoning behind why they were created, however, the mode in which they were executed could not be more different. This Selma to Montgomery march was a nonviolent, peaceful walk put together by the DCVL, SNCC, and SCLC that was met with extreme violence from state and local police and resulted in 17 marchers being hospitalized and 50 being treated for lesser injuries. This violence gave it its name "Bloody Sunday". The march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge became a televised event that shocked the nation. The marches were sparked by the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson who was a black civil rights activist who was killed during a nonviolent protest for James Orange's detention, who they fear would get lynched. Jackson was brutally killed by a white police officer when he attempted to protect his mother from being beaten because the officer thought he was trying to reach for his gun. These marches were also held in order to advocate for African-American's constitutional right to register to vote which was being repressed by segregationists and it was a key event that led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The LA riots were brought about by the excessive force used on Rodney King, an African-American male, when he was being pulled over by police for speeding and refusal to pull over. The four policemen who assaulted him used their batons to keep him on the ground instead of cuffing him and continue arresting him. This event was so significant because it was caught on tape by George Holliday and given to a news outlet which then spread rapidly causing the video to be known internationally. King's beating was the last straw for the Los Angeles community, they were tired of the unnecessary treatment to minorities by law enforcement so they took action through violence and destruction. This led to 63 deaths, 2,383 injuries, and 12,111 arrests and a retrial of the officers involved which found two of the four guilty.
Although the marches and the riot were fighting for similar causes and both were televised, the way in which they tried to act on their issues were polar opposites. They both reacted to injustices that needed to be rectified and both received results. It may be argued, however, that the nonviolent movement may have caused a larger and more noticeable change in the country while the violent movement got a retrial and little change to police itself. The LAPD, as well as most other police departments, changed for the better over time, but no direct changes came directly from the riots. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was not passed simply because of the marches, but it had a major influence on the public pressure for it while attempting to cause as little unrest and destruction as possible. The cost (deaths, injuries, destruction of property etc.) versus results (changes in society or government) for the peaceful movements far outweigh that for the violent ones.
Jamie Livengood
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