who said can’t we just get along

The phrase “Can’t we all just get along?” is famously associated with Rodney King, an African-American man who was brutally beaten by Los Angeles police officers in 1991. After the officers involved were acquitted in a highly publicized trial in 1992, riots erupted in Los Angeles. During a press conference addressing the unrest, Rodney King famously asked, “People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?” This plea for peace and unity amidst the turmoil became widely quoted and emblematic of efforts to promote harmony and understanding in times of conflict.