In Reel Time/ Real Justice, the article discusses the brutal beating of Rodney King, an African American, by Los Angeles police officers. Subsequently, the police officers were acquitted from criminal charges leading to outcry by Los Angeles inhabitants. These outcries for justice were dismissed as “riots by mobs” in the media and even by the United States president. The Rodney King case showed how deeply interconnected power and race were. When the video of the brutal beating of Rodney King was first released, very few could argue that they did not find the video abhorrent and clearly demonstrates discriminatory attitudes of police officers toward African Americans. However, in the courtroom, the clearly excessive force used by police officers on Rodney King became “ reasonable exercise of force necessary to restrain a prisoner”. Rodney King became the offender and the police were simply doing their jobs. The solution to such cases may seem like formal equality through affirmative action and other legislation that addresses race as a cause of police brutality and other injustices.

Question: What legislation has been proposed to address the issue of race in many forms of social injustices?