25 Highest-Rated Oprah Show Episodes

#19: Rodney King Verdict: Anger and Aftermath (May 5, 1992)

In 1991, Rodney King, a black man from Los Angeles, was pulled over by police after a high-speed chase. An amateur video that was seen around the world showed LAPD officers hitting King more than 50 times with a baton and kicking him six times before handcuffing and arresting him. After a trial on police brutality charges ended with a not-guilty verdict for the officers, some black residents of L.A. rioted and looted.

In 1992, everyone in America had an opinion about the verdict and the riots—and Oprah was in Los Angeles to hear them out.