Dorian Hill / Courtesy of the artist and Library Street Collective
)
Topline:
After living 42 years wrongfully incarcerated in the Angola State Penitentiary, Gary Tyler has spent the past decade living and working as an artist and advocate in Los Angeles. His newest exhibition now is on display at the Official Welcome Gallery through Dec. 20.
The context: Tyler was part of a group of Black students in Louisiana bused to a formerly all-white high school under court ordered desegregation. In 1974, their bus was attacked by a white mob and a white boy was killed. Tyler was wrongfully convicted of his murder by an all-white jury.
Read on … to learn about Tyler’s political awakening in Los Angeles and how and why Tyler learned to quilt in prison.
After living 42 years wrongfully incarcerated in the Angola State Penitentiary, Gary Tyler has spent the past decade living and working as an artist and advocate in Los Angeles.
A political awakening in Los Angeles
Growing up in Louisiana, Gary Tyler experienced some culture shock when he initially moved to South Central L.A. at 12 years old.
“It was like a new world I was venturing into,” Tyler said. “I learned things that I never thought was accessible 'cause it was totally different from the way the culture in the South was. It was more open and engaging.
'Negro History Week'
Negro History Week was the precursor to what would become Black History Month. Activist Angela Davis had been the subject of international outcry after being charged with murder and kidnapping. She said she was innocent and that she was being politically framed. She was later acquitted of all charges.
“I learned about Negro History Week. […] I also walked around the community, knocked on doors and got petitions signed for Angela Davis.
“Coming to L.A. was like walking out of the dark into the light.”
A segregationist mob changes the course of Tyler’s life
After a couple of years, Tyler moved back to Louisiana, where he was part of a group of Black students bused to a formerly all-white high school under court-ordered desegregation.
On Oct. 16, 1974, their bus was attacked by a white mob and a white boy was killed. Tyler was wrongfully convicted of his murder by an all-white jury.
Detroit Newspaper circa 1976
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Courtesy of Gary Tyler's archive
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Multiple witnesses later recanted their testimonies, saying they were pressured by police. Nevertheless, at just 17, Tyler became the youngest person on death row in the country, and was sent to the Louisiana State Prison in Angola, La.
Rodeos, quilting and an unexpected community
Tyler said he was afraid of the people he would meet in prison, but to his surprise, he found a community of older men who came together to protect him.
“Little did I know, despite the appearance of these guys, these guys was caring. These guys were loving,” Tyler said. “And these guys didn't perceive me as a threat at all because I was this little kid in adult prison.”
Tyler paid that care forward in different ways within the community in Angola, spending decades leading the prison theater program and volunteering with the country’s first prison hospice program, which was established in 1988 during the heigh of the AIDS crisis.
It was the need to fund hospice care that led Tyler to learn quilting in order to have something to sell at the notorious Angola Prison Rodeo, an annual fundraiser where inmates risk life and limb facing off against agitated bulls before a crowd.
Tyler resisted the craft at first.
GARY TYLER QUILTS
'Fernanda's Touch,' 2025
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Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
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'Unforgiven,' 2025
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Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
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'Convict Poker,' 2025;
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Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
)
“I felt that it was a feminine thing to do in prison,” Tyler said. “But I started thinking about my grandmother when I was this little kid. … I said, 'Wait a minute. I come from a family generation where my grandmother made quilts.' So I started having a different perspective … [that] we’re doing something noble. We doing something that supports dying men in prison.”
As Tyler’s quilts became big sellers at the rodeo and his leadership in the theater program attracted even more attention to his case, Tyler’s lawyers and national and international supporters rallied around his case. Still, it took 42 years for Tyler to be released — in 2016 at the age of 57.
A return to Los Angeles
With the aid of some of his longtime supporters, Tyler settled in Pasadena, where he became an advocate, working with organizations like A Safe Place For Youth. He continues to make quilts, ranging from colorful butterflies — a symbol of freedom — to depictions of life in incarceration.
“I felt that doing something tangible through my artwork, through quilting … that would give an understanding of my life experience in prison.”
'Illuminations from a Captured Soul' is now on display at the Official Welcome Gallery in Los Angeles through December 20th, 2025.
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Official Welcome Gallery
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Tyler’s newest exhibition of narrative quilts includes portraits of people serving sentences in Angola, depicted not as inmates but as the characters they portrayed in his plays. Tyler says this gives the viewer an opportunity to see their humanity.
And preserving one’s humanity is at the heart of all of Tyler’s work.
“I wanted to maintain my own individuality, knowing that I was an innocent person,” he said. “And I want people to know … even if you’re guilty, there's a chance for change. Never miss out on that opportunity, no matter what.”
How to see this work
"Illuminations from a Captured Soul" is now on display at the Official Welcome Gallery in Los Angeles through Dec. 20.
Location: 672 La Fayette Park Pl Suite 46, Los Angeles
Hours: Thursday through Saturday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. (and by appointment)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso's Election Night party at the Grove on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
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Brian Feinzimer
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for LAist
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Topline:
Billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso announced on Friday that he won't be running for public office.
Why it matters: Caruso has long been rumored to be eyeing a run for California Governor or for L.A. Mayor.
Why now: Butin a statement released on social media, Caruso said, "after much reflection and many heartfelt conversations with my family, I have decided not to pursue elected office at this time."
He called it a "difficult" decision.
The backstory: Caruso ran for L.A. Mayor in a self-funded campaign costing some $100 million in 2022.
He lost to Karen Bass.
Last year, former Vice President Kamala Harris announced her decision to not run for the governor seat in 2026.
QUOTE ...
He called it a "difficult" decision...
Caruso last ran for LA Mayor in in a self-funded campaign in 2022... and lost to Karen Bass...
Topline:
Billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso announced on Friday that he won't be running for public office.
Why it matters: Caruso has long been rumored to be eyeing a run for California Governor or for L.A. Mayor.
Why now: Butin a statement released on social media, Caruso said, "after much reflection and many heartfelt conversations with my family, I have decided not to pursue elected office at this time."
The backstory: Caruso ran for L.A. Mayor in a self-funded campaign costing some $100 million against Karen Bass in 2022.
Last year, former Vice President Kamala Harris — another high-profile politico said to be interested in the state's top job — announced that she would not be joining the race.
A box of the whistles that will be handed out and assembled in the whistle kits.
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Rain Skau
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Rain Skau
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Topline:
Community volunteers say one of the first lesson they learned during ICE raids is to make as much noise as possible.
Why now: A workshop is being organized today in Downtown L.A. by the Los Angeles chapter of Democratic Socialists of America to show people why the humble whistle is such a powerful tool. Some 300 whistle kits will be assembled at the inaugural workshop, which is at capacity.
Read on ... to learn more about the event.
Community volunteers say one of the first lesson they learned during ICE raids is to make as much noise as possible.
When they see people being detained by ICE, they use their voices, megaphones and, most effectively, whistles to signal danger.
One workshop being held in Downtown L.A. today will teach people how to use this tool.
Make some noise
Rain Skau is an organizer with the L.A. chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, he said the idea to hand out whistles came from community organizers in Chicago where they’ve been using them to alert neighborhoods of ICE presence.
Skau said his group had already been doing outreach to businesses across the city on how to better protect their workers from immigration raids, but they wanted to do more.
They plan to give out these kits in their future outreach.
The back and front of hotline cards included in the whistle kits.
The cards details what to do and who to call when a person has been detained or is being detained by ICE.
A hotline card with information on who to call when a person has been detained by ICE.
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Rain Skau
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DSA-LA
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A hotline card with instructions on what to do when encountering a person being detained by ICE.
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Rain Skay
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DSA-LA
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“This wasn't something that we were doing previously. We want to make sure that people have whistles and they have the hotline information,” said Skau.
The whistles are 3D printed and come with a phone number to advocacy group Unión del Barrio’s community hotline to report ICE sightings and those who might have been detained.
Amplify
Skau says there are two specific whistle patterns — one to alert people if ICE is nearby. The other to signify when someone is being detained.
In that event whistle-blowers are also instructed to “form a crowd, stay loud, and stay nonviolent.”
But Skau said they’ve mostly been telling people to whistle as loud as possible, no matter the pattern, to raise awareness.
Jack Bohlka organizes Home Depot Patrols for DSA-LA, he said the whistles are tiny but mighty.
Jack Bohlka (center) poses with other members of DSA-LA during a recent "Know Your Rights" business walk.
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Jack Bohlka
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Jack Bohlka
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“It's a whole lot better than trying to yell. It's instantly recognizable, they're very effective,” Bohlka said.
Jack Bohlka's personal whistle he uses for Home Depot patrols.
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Jack Bohlka
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Jack Bohlka
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Spreading the sound
Some 300 people signed up for today's workshop, more than Skau and Bohlka anticipated. They had to end RSVPs early to keep attendance manageable. But Skau says more workshops are in the works (check their Instagram for new events).
Participants today will assemble and take home whistle kits with instructions on how to use them, what to note if someone is being detained, and who to call during a raid.
DSA-LA said lately immigration enforcement agents have changed their tactics, targeting specific areas, striking quickly and leaving. It’s part of why Skau thinks getting whistle kits to as many people as possible is critical.
“So that if you just happen to be walking down the street," Skau said. "And you see something happening right in front of you, you're not just standing there shocked and aghast, and unsure of how to respond."
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Published January 17, 2026 5:00 AM
Jonathan Hale of People's Vision Zero built benches that he placed around Sawtelle.
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Jonathan Hale
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Topline:
An L.A. group that has been painting DIY crosswalks is now planning to build and place benches across the city to make public spaces more user-friendly.
The backstory: People's Vision Zero led by Sawtelle resident Jonathan Hale is holding a bench building event next weekend that's attracted woodworkers and artists.
National conversation: Unpermitted benches are showing up in cities across the country as residents take street improvements into their own hands.
What's next: The L.A. bench build event is already at capacity but Hale said he anticipates planning more events.
In Los Angeles, volunteers have been painting their own crosswalks, reasoning that safer streets shouldn’t be held up by red tape.
Now, a group of them is channeling that same DIY energy to another everyday need: public seating.
“We just want to build a bunch of benches and hopefully people have some cool places to sit,” said Jonathan Hale, founder of People’s Vision Zero.
Hale, a Sawtelle resident and UCLA law school student, is leading a session next weekend to build public benches. The plan is to bypass the permitting process, set out the seats and create more third spaces.
“There’s not that many places where you can go that aren’t work or home,” Hale said. “Benches, parks [and] open, inviting public spaces are a way that we can rebuild that in L.A.”
For Hale, the gathering is just as important as the finished product.
“The point of the labor is that we form stronger bonds with our neighbors and we have a healthy discussion about the use of public space," he said.
A growing bench movement
That conversation is part of a larger one across the country, where residents are making small but impactful changes to improve public space — from pop-up bike lanes to guerrilla gardens in what's described as "tactical urbanism."
Unpermitted public benches have been popping up in cities from Chattanooga, Tenn. to Kansas City, Mo. and San Francisco.
“Bus riders deserve to be treated with respect and to have a place to rest as they wait for the bus,” said Mingwei Samuel, an Oakland-based programmer who founded the group.
Samuel, who learned woodworking from his father, built and installed his first public bench in San Francisco in 2023.
The San Francisco Bay Area Bench Collective has placed more than 100 benches in the last couple years.
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SF Bay Area Bench Collective
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Bench locations chosen by the collective are usually located near bus stops.
“It’s sort of a revolt against the trend of hostile architecture,” he said. “Cities trying to remove benches just because they don’t want people to gather in public spaces.”
The Bay Area collective is seeing real change. More than 100 benches now dot the region, from Berkeley to Petaluma.
Last year, the city of Richmond approved a permit program allowing residents to add their own benches.
Sawtelle resident Johnathan Hale is expanding the work of People's Vision Zero to include bench building.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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From crosswalks to benches
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Hale’s group had already been gaining traction with its crosswalk projects.
Volunteers with People’s Vision Zero last year painted more than a dozen DIY crosswalks, taking a page from another volunteer group The Crosswalk Collective.
Most of the crosswalks have been left intact by the city. But in December, while volunteers were striping a street in Westwood, Hale was arrested and cited in an incident that went viral on social media.
Afterward, Hale met with the office of Mayor Karen Bass. In a statement to LAist, the mayor’s office said Bass was once a former community activist like Hale and wants to “explore solutions that are innovative and will expedite crosswalk installations across Los Angeles.”
The office did not respond to follow-up questions about what those solutions may look like or when they would be rolled out.
For now, Hale said he’s taking a hiatus from painting crosswalks “in the interest of working with them in good faith.”
That’s opened the door for more bench projects. Hale did a test run of sorts last summer in Sawtelle.
Drawing from skills learned as an Eagle Scout, he built four benches that he placed at the West Los Angeles Civic Center and Stoner Park, using the same design as those made by the Bay Area collective. All but one of the benches at the civic center are still there.
“When I’m just walking along and there’s people sitting on my bench, and they don’t even know that I built it, I get to feel like Batman or something,” Hale said. “It’s my little secret.”
Now he’s ready to scale up – and artists and woodworkers are answering the call. So many people have RSVP’d to the upcoming bench build next weekend that capacity has already been reached. Hale anticipates hosting more events.
He says Los Angeles should become a national leader in grassroots urban problem-solving or — as he puts it — “getting stuff done.”
A crowd watches drummers and dancers perform at the Sunday African Marketplace & Drum Circle in Leimert Park.
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Courtesy Philip C. Kim
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Topline:
The Los Angeles Official Martin Luther King Day Parade will take Monday in South L.A. So, whether you’re attending the parade or watching it on TV, here’s everything you need to know about Monday’s parade.
The details: The procession will begin at 10 a.m., with ABC7 set to begin a broadcast at 11 a.m. Organizers say the best place to catch the parade in person is the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. King Boulevard, or “camera corner,” where the parade will culminate and organizers are planning a live preshow. Bleacher seats, though, will be limited.
Getting there: The Metro K Line runs directly to the intersection, dropping people off at the Martin Luther King Jr. Metro station. Only residents will be allowed to drive into the band of neighborhoods directly along the length of the parade route. That includes the blocks from 39th Street to 42nd Street along King Boulevard and the blocks between McClung Drive and Victoria Avenue along the Crenshaw closure.
Read on . . . for more information about street closures and the annual MLK Freedom Festival.
In just four days, the Los Angeles Official Martin Luther King Day Parade will take over South L.A.
The LA Local recently spoke with Sabra Wady, the parade’s lead organizer, who said this year’s parade will look much the same as recent years.
So, whether you’re attending the parade or watching it on TV, here’s everything you need to know about Monday’s parade:
What time does the parade start? How can I watch? Is anything happening after?
Wady said the best place to catch the parade in person is the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. King Boulevard, or “camera corner,” where the parade will culminate and organizers are planning a live preshow. Bleacher seats, though, will be limited.
The Metro K Line runs directly to the intersection, dropping people off at the Martin Luther King Jr. Metro station.
Onlookers can also post up along the parade route with folding chairs and other self-arranged seating, Wady said.
The parade broadcast will run until 1 p.m., but Wady said the procession is expected to keep going until mid-afternoon.
“After the cameras stop rolling, it’s the people’s parade,” Wady said.
LA City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Councilmembers Curren Price and Heather Hutt – who represent council districts 8, 9 and 10, respectively — will organize the annual MLK Freedom Festival in the Leimert Park Plaza from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What route will the parade take?
The route will remain the same, running down King Boulevard from Western Avenue to Crenshaw Boulevard before turning south down Crenshaw and heading to Leimert Park. Much of the route will be closed to traffic overnight before the parade.
More than 150 groups, including bands, floats, horseback riders and marchers, will trek down the boulevard. Wady said organizers cut off new sign-ups weeks ago in order to keep the parade manageable.
What will road closures look like?
Colin Sweeney, a spokesperson for the LA Department of Transportation, said in an email that the department will close off traffic down the main parade route overnight.
Here are the roads that will be closed to all vehicles for the duration of the parade and festival.
King Boulevard from Vermont Avenue to Crenshaw Boulevard
Crenshaw Boulevard from King Boulevard to 48th Street
Leimert Boulevard from 8th Avenue to Leimert Park
Degnan Avenue between 43rd Street and Leimert Park
Sweeney said only residents will be allowed to drive into the band of neighborhoods directly along the length of the parade route. That includes the blocks from 39th Street to 42nd Street along King Boulevard and the blocks between McClung Drive and Victoria Avenue along the Crenshaw closure.
The transportation department will allow traffic to cross the parade route at major intersections — including Western Avenue, Arlington Avenue and Stocker Street — but those crossings will be shut down at 10 a.m. All closed roads will stay blocked off until the parade and festival wrap up and transportation officials determine crowds have sufficiently dispersed, Sweeney said.
Wady said the parade is expected to peter out around mid-afternoon. The festival at Leimert Park Plaza is scheduled to end at 5 p.m.
Vehicles parked in the parade assembly area, parade route and disbanding area will be subject to impound or tickets, Sweeney wrote.
