Rodney Glen King (born April 2, 1965 in Sacramento, California) is an African-American taxi driver who became famous after his violent arrest by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was videotaped by a bystander, George Holliday. The incident raised a public outcry among people who believed it was racially motivated.

Sister Souljah is a controversial American hip hop-generation author, activist, recording artist, and film producer. She is best known because in 1992—in the aftermath of the Rodney King beating and the 1992 Los Angeles riots—she was criticized by Bill Clinton for her controversial remarks on race in the United States. Clinton's repudiation of the views he attributed to her created what is now known in politics as a Sister Souljah moment.

Anna Deavere Smith (born September 18, 1950, in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American actress, playwright, and professor in the Department of Performance Studies at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She formerly taught in the drama department at Stanford University. Smith is best known as the author of "Fires in the Mirror", which dealt with the 1991 Crown Heights Riot, and "Twilight: Los Angeles 1992", …

Damian Monroe Williams, a.k.a Football (b. March 17 1973), along with Henry Watson, Antoine Miller and Gary Williams, known as the L.A. Four, were responsible for the attack during the 1992 Los Angeles riots on truck driver Reginald Oliver Denny. Williams became the most recognized participant of L.A. riots due to the live news broadcast of his attack on Denny and because of his memorable nickname which was repeated frequently in news media.

Laurence Michael Powell (b. 1963) is a former Los Angeles Police officer. He was one of four officers involved in the Rodney King beating on March 3, 1991. Powell graduated from Crescenta Valley High School as an honors student and took three semesters in college. He enrolled in the police academy and finished near top of his class in the academy. He became an LAPD officer in 1988 and had been getting a poor reputation from his colleagues.

Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. (October 2, 1937 - March 29, 2005) was a defense attorney best known for his role in the legal defense for O.J. Simpson during his highly publicized murder trial. Cochran also represented Sean "Diddy" Combs (during his trial on gun and bribery charges), Michael Jackson, actor Todd Bridges, football player Jim Brown and rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg as well as Reginald Oliver Denny, …

Reginald Oliver Denny (born April 21, 1953 in San Pedro, California) was a construction truck driver who, after being dragged from his truck, was nearly beaten to death by rioters during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. These rioters were later determined to be gang members. The attack was captured by a Los Angeles News Service helicopter piloted by Bob Tur and shot by Marika Tur. The video was broadcast live on US national television as the attack occurred.

Willie L. Williams served as LAPD police chief 1992-1997 after Daryl F. Gates' resignation due to the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The first African-American police chief in Los Angeles, Williams came from Philadelphia after serving as Deputy Chief of the Philadelphia Police Department since 1988. During his reign in L.A., he tried to close the rift created between the police and black neighborhoods by supporting a positive LAPD public image.

Judy Muller , an Emmy Award-winning television correspondent and National Public Radio commentator, joined the faculty of the USC Annenberg School for Communication in August 2003, sharing her vast experience as a radio and television reporter with USC students.

Charles S. DeVore (born May 20, 1962) is a U.S. politician, currently serving as a Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing the 70th District, which includes portions of Orange County. He currently serves in the Assembly Republican leadership as Republican Whip. Born in Seattle, Washington, DeVore moved to California when he was 13 years old. After enrolling in the United States Army Reserve in 1983, …

Marc Klasfeld is an American music video director who has also written and directed films and documentaries. He has directed over a hundred music videos for many successful artists, a list of which is given below. Klasfeld has also forayed into episodic television, directing for the HBO series Oz. His first feature film, "The L.A. Riot Spectacular" is a satirical look at the 1992 Los Angeles riots starring Charles Dutton, Emilio Estevez, …

Michael "Mike" Woo (1951-) is a California politician and professor. He served as the first Asian American on the Los Angeles City Council from 1985 to 1993. Woo chaired the Citywide Planning commission, until 1993 when he became the first Asian American to run for the mayor of a major city (among those else in consideration would be Chicago, New York, San Francisco, etc.), against Richard Riordan. In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Woo and Bill Clinton, …

Ivory John Webb is the name of the deputy who was tried for, Attempted Voluntary Manslaughter after shooting an unarmed passenger (Elio Carrion) of a car driven by Luis Fernando Escobedo. Luis Fernando Escobedo allegedly lead police on a high speed chase in a Corvette with speeds exceeding 100 MPH which ended when he crashed into a fence.

Ian Hanomansing (or Hanoomansigh) (born 1961) is a television journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He is the anchor of "Canada Now", the CBC's Vancouver supperhour newscast. From 2000 to 2007, Hanomansing was the anchor of the national segment of "Canada Now"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s earlier incarnation. He has been a reporter with the CBC since 1986. He is married, and has two sons.

Phillip H. Krapf is a freelance author known mainly for his detailed claims to have been repeatedly abducted by an alien race known as "The Verdants." In his books he alleges that the Verdants are a colonizing race spread across much of the galaxy and seeking to initiate relations with Earth on behalf of the "Intergalactic Federation of Sovereign Planets." In late October, 2001, Krapf released a statement saying that the September 11, …

Laura Diaz joined KCBS-TV in September 2002 as co-anchor of the CBS 2 News at 5 and 11 p.m. with Harold Greene and in 2004 Paul Magers joined her as co-anchor. In addition to anchoring these two nightly newscasts, Diaz plays an active role in a variety of special projects for CBS 2. She also co-hosts CBS 2’s Sunday evening public affairs program “Studio 2.” Occasionally this program is renamed “Studio 2- La Vida,” and it takes on a distinct Latin feel.

Juanita Tate (1938 - July 5, 2004) was a community activist who advocated green space for the poor citizens of South Los Angeles, California. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and relocated to the city of Los Angeles in the early 1980s. After the 1992 Los Angeles riots, she led the Concerned Citizens of South Central in opposition to a waste incinerator that was proposed for area.

Kam is an American political rapper known primarily among hip hop fans and music critics during the 1990s. Born in Los Angeles, California, he is considered an esteemed West Coast underground rapper. He is known for his Afrocentric lyrics, Nation of Islam membership and affiliation with his cousin fellow West Coast rapper Ice Cube. He is also known for his powerfully commanding baritone voice and knack for using multisyllabic rhymes.