Airdate: The LA Riots: 25 Years Later

Next month the History channel looks back on The LA Riots: 25 Years Later.

This is a 2 hr special produced by National Geographic.

An all-encompassing documentary event cantered around the 25th anniversary of the LA Riots, the most destructive riot in American history that left 53 people dead and caused over a billion dollars in damage. Through gripping raw footage from the streets, first person testimonials and archival newscasts, we will relive the four harrowing days when the streets of Los Angeles literally burned in flames. But this is a much larger story than the events of 1992. Placing the LA Riots in historical context, we will examine the connection between race relations, police abuse, social injustice and violent dissent in America; from the days of slavery to today. While the LA Riots were inspired by a videotaped police beating, this story doesn’t end with Rodney King. Amadou Diallo, Timothy Thomas, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, and Ezell Ford have reignited racial tension in America. The controversies continue … and we’ll explore what links them all together.

Thursday May 4 at 8.30pm