A3: Collage of "Arms and then Agony"
*Color image taken from Hyungwon Kang / Los Angeles Times for clarity; black and white print in newspaper.
This photo is captioned as "Police officers interview three men Thursday night who were guarding a pizzeria when gunmen wounded them and killed a companion at 3rd and Hobart streets". 
Interestingly, none of these men are identified by name and highlighted as victims of attacks as the white man Reginal Denny had. It may be because Denny's beating was caught on video in broad daylight.
The man in the foreground is Edward Song Lee (18), who was killed in crossfire trying to protect some Korean stores. The reason Lee and other Koreans put themselves in danger was because no police authorities would come to their aid or protect them. In this image, however, police are on site and questioning the victims.
​Knowing these facts, what does this image portray about the conflicts? Why was Lee's death viewed as a casualty taken care of by the police in the photo? In what cases is the Korean/Asian identity highlighted or ignored and why? What does this portray about police involvement in Koreatown vs the reality?


​Tags:Property Damage,  Multi-Racial, Police
A4
Juxtaposed image of a Black male grasping onto items as he loots a store with that of a white, (?) defeated shopkeeper. Ties the actions of the former to the suffering of the latter. 
Many looters were Latinx; yet all the images of looters so far have been Black people, specifically Black men. 
Follows the continued associations between angry Black men instigating chaos, and hurting innocent members of the Los Angeles community. 
How does this portray looting as a form of protest? Why are looters portrayed in this way? What significance does the looter being Black and the shopkeeper being white have on public perception of the affiliated communities? 
​Tags:  Property Damage, Police
A6
Two Black men standing in front of their "BLACK OWNED" (graffiti) business. These sorts of indications would be made so that rioters would avoid Black businesses or properties. Many looters ended up being non-Black, and supposedly participated without intentions of protesting the Rodney King case verdict. 
Many news sites depicted Black people being negatively impacted by the looting, showing that rioting had gotten out of control and people were mindlessly destroying, even hurting "their own communities". 
How does this reflect on the movement in LA 1992, and specifically on Black people, who initiated the riots? How does an image like this, where Black people are not participants, define the effectiveness of riots/looting? What does this say about rioting as a form of protest?

​Tags: Property Damage, Black, Multi-Racial
A10
All of these images depict Korean men with guns, tense and ready for confrontation with looters. These men were dubbed as "Rooftop Koreans", named so because they would often sit armed on top of the roofs of their businesses/buildings for lookout.
Rooftop Koreans emerged because the Korean community found themselves completely abandoned by the government and police authorities they had hoped would protect them. Determined to hold onto the businesses their lives depended on, the Korean community united through communication of Radio Korea and actively protected themselves.
​The lack of police help is not depicted. The images remove that context, and purely portray a "battle" between Korean business owners and looters.
Because the images we have seen usually identify looters as Black people, how does this collage deepen the concept of a Black-Korean conflict being the core of the LA riots?
How do these images position Korean (Asian) men within the entire narrative (Victims? Brave citizens? Violent?), and why are they positioned in this way?
​
​Tags: Police, Violence
A15
Another depiction of the actor Edward James Olmos helping to clean up Los Angeles, as well as a new image of a different child also cleaning up. Repeated pattern of certain groups being identified as perpetrators of violence or destruction, and then the innocent civilians that clean up after them.
 
A16
The most important point of this image is the "police officer with a bullhorn gives information". A large crowd being facilitated by law enforcement reemphasizes their role as authority figures who bring order to the events.

How do these images characterize certain people and groups? What remains consistent, or what is different?
 
A2
Depiction of Rodney G. King, victim of the famously taped police brutality that went viral and sparked controversy when the officers were acquitted. Here he is seen to be nervous and glancing to the side. No emotions of anger or passion displayed as other Black males have in previous photographs.
How does this more passive image of the victim, in conjunction with his statements about wanting an "end to the rioting and looting" subscribe to specific ideas about "good" and "bad" protesting?


​Tags: Black, Property Damage ​
Picture
​Tags: Violence, Police, Asian
A3: Collage of "Arms and then Agony" continued
​Following the larger photo of Edward Song's death, these images show varying stages of looted businesses. The first image "Under the Gun" reemphasizes the role of the police as actively arresting looters. For some, images of police authorities pointing guns at looters is reassuring: it signifies a sense of security that "criminals" are being met with the proper response. For others, this image can evoke fear or trauma of police brutality. Who is this image meant to serve / placate? 
The remaining images show an empty store with an officer walking through it (another emphasis of police presence despite many businesses attesting to a lack of police response or protection), as well as non-Black business owners protecting their stores. 
Again, many business owners had to take it upon themselves to protect themselves because police were not present. Does this collage portray that narrative? And how does this depict a triangulated relationship between non-Black POC, Black people, and the police?

​Tags: Black, Property Damage
A5
First photo of this collage: "Help Has Arrived", a civilian shaking hands happily with the National Guard, the ones who are to help put L.A. back in order. Another representation of law enforcement as helpful, active members wanting to catch criminals and bring back peace, hence the "Signs of Hope and Recovery". But hope and recovery for who?
Second image shows a child "Salvaging the Wreckage". Her age and sorrowful expression amidst the destruction is meant to draw sympathy for the affected, and anger towards the perpetrators. As the papers have clearly identified looters as angry Black men, viewers most likely make this association again between a suffering innocent civilian through the actions of a certain minority group.
Following images show a celebrity helping with cleanup, "Holding Back the Fire", and the arrival of the National Guard. 
The images themselves convey a narrative of senseless chaos that hurts the common, good, (non-Black) citizen. Order is restored through efforts from benevolent, helpful individuals such as celebrity volunteers and the arrival of troops. Who is supposed to consume this narrative, and why is the narrative formulated for that audience?

​Tags: Property Damage, Black
A7
Two types of crowds are shown. These are photos from other locations (New York City Hall and Durham, NC). One crowd is chaotic and distressed, with the burning of the flag highlighted. They are referred to as "demonstrators" rather than "angry mobs" as other groups of protesters have in previous photographs in the L.A. riots. The most visible members all seem to be non-Black.
What sort of reaction is a photo of a multi-racial crowd burning the flag supposed to represent? What prompts their description as "demonstrators" rather than a "mob"? 
The second group is all Black men linking arms and marching with signs. What role does an image like this play in the efforts of activists in uniting under methods of protest? Would a switch in the races of the photo subjects elicit a different response from the public? What response would this be and why?
​Tags: Asian
A16
These images highlight authorities and their involvement in the riots. The first of the National Guard, the second of firefighters covering up a person shot by police, and the third an infographic on National Guard gear. This page on its own emphasizes a recurring militant theme. 
Again, because the National Guard in their gear is meant to bring peace of mind for some but is a traumatic or fearful image for others, who is the intended consumer of these image?
​How do concepts of masculinity play a role in ideas of "law and order", "peace", and "control"? 
​Tags: Property Damage
​Tags: Police