The Rodney King effect: 30 years after riots, how far has LA come?

This week marks 30 years since the race riots in South Central Los Angeles, ignited by the acquittal of four white police officers for beating Rodney King, a Black man. In today’s South LA, we found setbacks mixed with progress, and stories of hope that reveal a path toward justice.

John Thomas grew up in South Los Angeles – then called South Central. The son of a single mother, one of six kids, he says he never had a positive encounter with a police officer until he became one. Just...