Rodney King quotes

Rodney King was an American construction worker who became internationally known after a videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers. His case sparked widespread outrage and led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots when the officers were acquitted. He became a lasting symbol of the struggle against police brutality and racial injustice in the United States. Here are 27 of his quotes:

I realize I will always be the poster child for police brutality, but I can try to use that as a positive force for healing and restraint.

Rodney King

Anybody can get bigheaded once they know the seat cannot be pulled out from under them.

Rodney King

It made me feel like I was back in slavery days.

Rodney King

I'm a religious person. I remember my mom told me: 'Vengeance belongs to God. It's up to him to wreak vengeance.' It's hard for me to get to that point, but that's the work of God.

Rodney King

People, I just want to say, you know, can we all JUST get along? Can we get along? Can we stop making it, making it horrible for the older people and the kids? ... It's just not right. It's not right. It's not, it's not going to change anything. We'll, we'll get our justice ... Please, we can get along here. We all can get along. I mean, we're all stuck here for a while. Let's try to work it out. Let's try to beat it. Let's try to beat it. Let's try to work it out.

Rodney King

People, I just want to say, can we all get along? Can we get along?

Rodney King

Waking up sober is a good day. I love being able to wake up and do positive things, to go to the gym.

Rodney King

Can we all get along?

Rodney King

I had to learn to forgive. I couldn't sleep at night. I got ulcers. I had to let go, to let God deal with it. No one wants to be mad in their own house. I didn't want to be angry my whole life. It takes so much energy out of you to be mean.

Rodney King

When I leave here, when my final day on this earth is up, I want to leave in peace. I want to have peace in my heart.

Rodney King

I tell myself time heals. It really does.

Rodney King

For a long time, sure, I was letting the pressure of being Rodney King get to me. It ain't easy. Even now, I walk into a place wondering, 'What people are thinking? Do they know who I am? What do they think about what happened? Do they blame me for the all those people who died?'

Rodney King

I sometimes feel like I'm caught in a vise. Some people feel like I'm some kind of hero. Others hate me.

Rodney King

As a black man, you run from the cops. It's different now, but back when I was coming up, you run.

Rodney King

I know and value what it means to wake up and be alive and to share my story. I'm so blessed to be here and to be able to talk about it.

Rodney King

Nice guys just don't finish first in the music industry.

Rodney King

Over the years, a lot of rappers - Lil' Wayne, Ice Cube - have used my name in their songs. I'm a real touchstone of history.

Rodney King

We wouldn't be as far along as a country if we didn't take on some of Martin Luther King's ways that he instilled in us.

Rodney King

I don't see how you can grow as a world without being able to get along with people. So many people is hating out there and it's not making a difference.

Rodney King

It's happening right now... it's just not on film, it's not being recorded.

Rodney King

People look at me like I should have been like Malcolm X or Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks. I should have seen life like that and stay out of trouble, and don't do this and don't do that. But it's hard to live up to some people's expectations.

Rodney King

Obama, he wouldn't have been in office without what happened to me and a lot of black people before me. He would never have been in that situation, no doubt in my mind. He would get there eventually, but it would have been a lot longer. So I am glad for what I went through. It opened the doors for a lot of people.

Rodney King