"Can we all get along?" Blacks' historical and contemporary (in) justice with law enforcement

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2014

Abstract

From the time that he endured a brutal beating by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers on March 3, 1991, Rodney Glen King instantly became the face of police brutality in America. Given his recent death (April 2, 1965 - June 17, 2012), we are aware of no studies that have critically examined his words and placed them within a broader social context. The primary goal of this study was to examine the public quotes made Rodney King, as well as what these quotes revealed about the world paradigm of King, as well as how he perceived himself and his place in the world. This qualitative study used Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as tools to meet this goal. We examined 20 quotes that were offered by King from the Search Quotes (2012) website. Given King's notoriety in directly influencing how the public generally perceive the police, the following question was foundational to this study: What do Rodney King's words reveal about his world view, especially as it relates to the police, himself, and others? Implications regarding the words that King used to describe his feelings and world view will be discussed.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Western Journal of Black Studies

First Page

108

Last Page

122

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