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Category: Civil Rights

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Rodney King Beating Was 30 Years Ago Today; Courtroom Sketches Now at Library

Posted by: Neely Tucker

The Library recently acquired courtroom artist Mary Chaney's sketches from the trials of Rodney King in Los Angeles from 1992-1994. The Black motorist was beaten viciously by white police officers after a high-speed chase in 1991. The acquittal of the officers in state court set off days of deadly riots and became a touchstone in American society.