Sunday, March 8, 2026

Plaque Honoring Rodney King To Be Unveiled Today at Site of His Former Altadena Home

The original home video of the Rodney King beating by Los Angeles Police officers was taken by George Holliday. [Fair use]

Three community groups to mark 35 years since the beating that sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots

Organizers plan to permanently install a plaque honoring Rodney King today at the site of his former Altadena home, a property that burned in the January 2025 Eaton Fire, as three community organizations gather to mark 35 years since the beating that led to widespread protests and civil unrest.

The Rodney King Foundation, My Tribe Rise and Altadena Rising are hosting the commemoration, scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. at 2530 Lincoln Ave.

The gathering is expected to include reflections from King’s daughter Lora, who now leads the foundation, as well as community members who knew King and My Tribe Rise co-founder Victor Hodgson, who worked with King after the 1992 riots.

King was born in Sacramento, grew up in Altadena and attended John Muir High School in Pasadena. He was 25 when LAPD officers beat him after a traffic stop on the 210 freeway on March 3, 1991. The videotaped beating and the officers’ acquittal a year later set off the Los Angeles riots, which left more than 60 people dead. King’s televised plea on the third day of the riots — “Can we all get along?” — has been widely cited in the decades since.

King drowned accidentally on June 17, 2012. He was 47.

The gathering is also set to include live performances, food and fellowship. For information, contact peace@mytriberise.com.