“In the Arena” CNN’s new 8pmET show will be preempted tonight as CNN’s Don Lemon talks with Rodney King, 20 years after a high speed pursuit led to a videotaped beating at the hands of LAPD officers. An excessive force trial, an acquittal and five days of riots, including another videotaped beating, that of truck driver Reginald Denny, resulted in a national conversation about race.
Lemon talks with King and with George Holliday who videotaped the beating in what would become one of the first instances of what we now call citizen journalism. Lemon also speaks with Bobby Green, who rescued white truck driver Denny.
Lemon retraces the events, the trial, the riots and what’s changed in 20 years in Race and Rage – The Beating of Rodney King airing tonight and tomorrow night at 8pmET. A preview after the jump…