Amid all the furor over Osama bin Laden’s demise and the lead up to May Day, an important anniversary has slipped through the cracks. This week marks the 19h anniversary of the Los Angeles uprising. It’s among the most infamous urban rebellions of the twentieth century, and opened long-festering wounds around police misconduct and joblessness — ones that still exist today.
Nearly two decades later, the uprising has also provided a soundtrack for resistance. Reader Mari Beltran recently pointed us toward this music video from rapper Arturo Quiros (aka kBEe) called “(Black is) Beautiful.” The song’s a moving look to the past and a hopeful nod to the future as it celebrates black and brown unity through art.
