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?'

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

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.

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.

What I've learned to do is arrest my addiction - arrest it myself, so I don't get arrested.

It's not painful to relive it. I'm comfortable with my position in American history.

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.