Kerman Maddox remembers the yelling, screaming, upset, and angry people who gathered inside the First African Methodist Episcopal Church as rioting ripped.
Flashpoint of 1992 LA riots becomes a place of celebration
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STEFANIE DAZIO, Associated Press
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1of11Joyce Robertson, right, clenches her fist at the intersection of Florence and Normandie Avenues in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, after a guilty verdict was announced at the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the 2020 death of George Floyd.Jae C. Hong/APShow MoreShow Less
2of11People hold Black Lives Matter flags at the intersection of Florence and Normandie Avenues, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Los Angeles, after a guilty verdict was announced at the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the 2020 death of George Floyd.Jae C. Hong/APShow MoreShow Less
The place where Florence and Normandie avenues meet is indelible in the history of the city of Los Angeles. Next week will mark 29 years since the intersection became a flashpoint for violence after the King verdict came down.
The cross-streets are where, in the aftermath of the jury s decision, Black men dragged white truck driver Reginald Denny from his big rig and beat him nearly to death. Denny survived the attack, which was captured on live TV.
The uprising spread as the city burned. Hundreds of businesses were looted and destroyed. Entire blocks of homes and stores went up in flames. More than 60 people died by shootings or other violence.