Blog by Hanna Chea, Communications Intern
The LA Uprising/Saigu Reflections panel was a virtual event held on Apr. 14 to discuss past media coverage which stoked racial tensions, particularly amongst Black and Korean communities. Civil rights leaders and media experts reflected upon the media’s role in race relations, as well as the lessons the LA Uprising serves for the present and future.
The LA Uprising/Saigu Peace gathering was a free community event held on Apr. 29 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the LA Uprising. The event featured musicians, food trucks, booths and various speakers as a night of honor and remembrance.
Unity and reflection are stepping stones towards building a better future, and the recent Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California events demonstrated exactly that. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the 1992 LA uprising, also known as Saigu in Korean, which took place after the acquittal of four white police officers involved in the beating of a black man, Rodney King.
I recently had the pleasure of attending two Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California events, a virtual reflection panel as well as a peace gathering, which enhanced my understanding of the 1992 LA Uprising and the lasting effects which followed.
As reluctant as I am to say it, I had scarce knowledge of the 1992 LA uprisings prior to the virtual panel. While I had heard of the LA uprisings every now and then, especially through key buzzwords like “LA Riots” or “Rodney King”, I had little working knowledge of what exactly happened and the trauma which followed.
The first event, a virtual panel, was hosted by Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California’s CEO, Connie Chung Joe, and involved multiple Black and Asian civil rights leaders.
It was a thought provoking time as the panel spoke about the Black and Korean communities which were majorly affected by the 1992 events, many of whom fell victim to the underlying systems which have disadvantaged them. News platforms and media outlets were incentivized to report on crime in lower class, black communities and sensationalized racial stereotypes because it is what the elite–who are major subscribers to the news–feared.
A particularly interesting perspective came from speaker Stewart Kwoh, Founder of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, who spoke of his recollections of the media in 1992. An image of Koreans using guns to protect their businesses became a popularized photo at the time, which enforced themes of violence and anger despite only a small percentage of Koreans actually using firearms amidst the uprising.
Jarrett Hill, President of the National Association of Black Journalists of Los Angeles and USC professor, said the instances of media bias that we see during the LA Uprising are just as salient today. Hill advocated for diversity in our newsrooms because without it, there would be no nuance to the coverage surrounding events that occur at the heart of each and every community. In order to restructure failing systems, it is important to recognize what they were originally set up to do and how they can be changed to better address community issues.
Connie Rice, co-founder of Advancement Project and Urban Institute, acknowledged that although the fight is not yet over, the media has certainly made advancement since the LA Uprising. Rice noted the valuable coverage of movements such as Black Lives Matter, and commended certain media platforms for taking more introspective looks into how they can improve. However, similar to the rest of the panel, Rice emphasized the importance of the media covering the multi-cultural landscape that we live in today. Mainstream culture does little to connect the dots which are crucial to understanding complex and often misunderstood situations.
Attorney Mediator Angela Oh offered a compelling observation to finish up her conversation: we have become so conditioned to be consumers that we no longer have the critical skills to think originally. The trauma of the LA Uprisings is still there, and the importance of media diversity is just as salient today as it was before, so it is up to us to formulate our own understandings of past and present events.
To see the full virtual panel, view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmsZMtjVIVk
Similar to the virtual panel, the LA Uprising Peace Gathering showcased speeches from civil rights leaders, but also included an amalgam of entertaining musical performances. From South Korean rapper Dok2 to performers like the First AME Church Mass Choir, the event was truly a lively night.
The emcees, Yoonj Kim, Melvin Roberts and Alexandra Reid, opened up the gathering with lively remarks and important statements regarding the intentions of the peace gathering. Their introductions to each performer helped establish an informational and smooth-flowing transition into each act throughout the entire night.
One of the leading cultural performers of the evening, The Hwarang Youth Foundation Drummers, performed an eye-catching and entertaining drum routine with a fusion of traditional and modern music. The First AME Church Mass Choir (FAME) and members of Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE) balanced each other out spectacularly as FACE delivered vocally impressive and soothing renditions of classic Korean music followed by a lively and celebratory performance by FAME. Each performance was followed by an interlude of remarks by elected officials who emphasized the importance of unity and remembrance throughout the 30th anniversary peace gathering.
The peace gathering also hosted six musical acts performed by Dok2, Tayla Parx, Junoflo x G2 x Ted Park, RÜDE CÅT, Justin Park and Know-Madik. While each performance brought to the stage a diverse array of genres and beats, it was the common thread of unity and empowerment that enriched each performance. Beyond the musical performances, each artist connected with the audience with celebratory remarks and personable gestures.
While it was certainly a bustling evening of food trucks, booths and performances, the event most importantly brought together individuals of all ages, backgrounds and interests to celebrate a cause for unity. One of the highlights of my night was observing strangers come together to sing, dance and celebrate each performance. The event brought together a crowd of unique and energetic individuals that did just as much to support the gathering as the performers did. Though it was a free community event, it certainly left me with a priceless experience.
It is always important to reflect on history–why events happen, who was affected and how it is told. And as AAPI Heritage Month rolls in, doing so is all the more important. The virtual panel and peace gathering provided a taste of what it means to be a proactive member of a community and reminded us all that reflecting on the past gives us tools to navigate the present and find hope for the future.
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699fm) Ireh Yoon, Dok2 and Una Song LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699fi) Know-Madik, Una Song, James Roh and Connie Chung Joe and Sam Hyun LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699dt) Performer and Melvin Robert LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699bk) JunoFlo, G2, Ted Park and Justin Park LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699gc) Tayla Parx LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699eb) Speakers on stage LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699eg) Speakers on stage LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699cj) Konnie Chung Joe LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699at) Know-Madik LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699gv) RUDE CAT LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699es) Guest speakers LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock (12916699fw) Parlay Pass and Ted Park LA Uprising Saigu Peace Gathering Community Event, Los Angeles, California, USA – 29 Apr 2022