LA Uprisings Show the Truth of Black History in America

I’ve been thinking a lot about why L.A. ends up at the center of so many uprisings. And I don’t mean “riots,” I mean people fighting to be heard in a system that keeps ignoring them. As a Black history major and someone trying to teach real truth, I feel like we gotta stop just watching protests and actually understand them. Especially in L.A.—a city where palm trees and sunshine can’t hide the pain under the surface.  LA, uprisings, Black, history.

Watts Rebellion (1965)

It started with a traffic stop. A Black man was pulled over for drunk driving, and tensions exploded between police and the community. Six days later, 34 people were dead, over 1,000 injured, and $40 million in damage had been done. But none of that just came out of nowhere. People had been living in deep poverty, locked out of jobs, and dealing with aggressive policing. When your voice doesn’t work, fire gets loud.

What changed? The government promised more investment in housing and jobs—but most of it never came. The Kerner Commission said America was “moving toward two societies, one Black, one white—separate and unequal.” And they were right.

Rodney King Uprising (1992)

This one hurts. They caught four LAPD officers on tape beating Rodney King. And still—STILL—they were acquitted. South Central exploded in pain. Over 60 people were killed. Thousands injured. Whole communities burned. The world watched it live.

But let’s be real. Those buildings didn’t just burn because people were “criminals.” They burned because for decades, communities had been burned metaphorically—by redlining, by LAPD’s war-like tactics, by being over-policed and under-protected. When the system keeps looting your future, folks eventually respond.

Did anything change? Kind of. The LAPD was forced to start reforming under a federal consent decree. More Black and Latino leadership started getting seats at the table. But even then, the deeper issues—poverty, education, mental health—didn’t get solved.

George Floyd Protests (2020)

This was national, but L.A. showed up big. After Floyd was killed on camera, millions poured into streets. Young, old, Black, white—people were fed up. Buildings burned again. But this time, the fires were lit by a new generation that said “we’ve had enough.”

And this time, something shifted. The city reallocated some police funds (not nearly enough). There was a national push for police accountability. But we’re still in it. The pressure died down in the media, but for us? The system still feels the same.

So… why do people burn buildings?

It ain’t because they’re crazy. It’s because rage doesn’t always speak in words. If you grow up watching your people get locked up for nothing, schools underfunded, jobs disappear, rent climb while wages don’t—you start to feel like no one’s listening. And when peaceful protests get ignored? That’s when fire becomes a language.

I’m not saying it’s the right answer. I’m saying it’s a real one. As someone who’s trying to teach the next generation, I think our job isn’t to condemn the action before we listen to the pain behind it.

Final thoughts

Every time L.A. rises, it’s a reminder that America hasn’t dealt with its truth. These protests weren’t random—they were the result of decades of inequality. And if we want to stop the next fire, we gotta fix what’s broken, not just criticize the way people react.