[Michael Zinzun – Office Interview 6/92]

News clips and various other footage examining the disparity between treatment of the black men who beat Reginald Denny during the 1992 uprising and the acquittal of the officers who beat Rodney King. Shot by Nancy Buchanan with Michael Zinzun driving & commenting.

00:01Copy video clip URL Camera opens on a news report about the Rodney King police abuse case. The reporter speaks with black American about the way that the police treat black people. They report on another case where four black men were arrested. Reporter speaks with community members about their personal experiences.

7:25Copy video clip URL A police chief and congresswoman come on the program. The police chief talks about people losing faith in the justice system and mistakes that may have been made. They speak about the possibility of more riots, as in the case of Rodney King. They debate about what the police leadership has done or failed to do in situations of injustice.

15:09Copy video clip URL A group of black community members sit and discuss the unfair labeling of all black men as gang member by the news media. They talk about what changes community members want to see. The interviewer asks what problems are plaguing young people in these communities. The community members talk about the socio-economic difficulties, and the way that the Rodney King decision sparked a desire for change within the community that led to a truce between some of the gangs. One man talks about the importance of communication between groups, including gangs and police. He talks about investing in young people to help them get to a better place. They emphasize the importance of solving economic disparity. 

40:53Copy video clip URL Cut to Michael Zinzun sitting on a porch and talking about the inaccessibility of the American dream to poor people. He talks about the Rodney King riots.

46:28Copy video clip URL Cut to a woman explaining the circumstances of Latasha Harlin’s murder, which has been alluded to earlier in the clip. The 15-year-old girl is accused of shoplifting, and after denying that she has stolen anything and attempting to leave, the store owner shot her in the head. After the trial, the store owner was found guilty, but not sentenced to any jail time by the judge. The woman speaks about the injustice of the situation. Photo of Latasha Harlin. Mural.  Shaky shots of political cartoons. 

57:28Copy video clip URL Shots from a moving car of a neighborhood. Footage of a burned down building. Footage of three people sitting on the sidewalk near the building. Woman off camera helps the cameraman work the equipment and take different kinds of shots. They continue driving and taking shots of buildings.

1:11:30Copy video clip URL Zinzun walks out in front of the camera and they continue to look at buildings in the area, including one under construction. 

1:17:30Copy video clip URL Sign in front of a community center: “The Committee for Justice and a Civilian Police Review Board.” They continue driving and looking at buildings. More burned buildings. Zinzun stands in front of one of the burned buildings and talks about the history of it as a bookstore burned as a part of the protests in LA. They look through some of the debris.

1:36:28Copy video clip URL Cut to Zinzun speaking in front of the debris of the bookstore and introducing his show. Outtakes of the description are interspersed with the full takes. A couple kids speak indistinctly to Zinzun.

1:39:58Copy video clip URL Mabie Settlage interviews Zinzun in front of the burned building about organizing and protest that has been happening in the greater LA community. Zinzun talks about community opportunities and resolving injustices from past decades. They talk about new politicians who may be entering the community. They speak about gangs in the area. He talks about the perception of people of color, and then about programs that are looking to help community members. 

1:59:42Copy video clip URL Back in the car, Zinzun speaks about a recent community meeting. They continue to drive around the neighborhood, looking at the status of buildings. Zinzun talks about the fires during the protests. They drive by a brand new McDonald’s building. Zinzun describes what he was doing during the protests.

2:13:22Copy video clip URL Tape ends.