California is one of the few states in the country that does offer a constellation of laws to provide for work accommodations and leave around pregnancy. But taking family leave is still complicated. We made a guide.
How good is family leave in the United States? The United States is one of just seven countries in the world without a comprehensive program for national paid maternity leave.
If I take away just one thing from this guide: There are laws that give you the right to go on leave and protect your job while you’re out. And then, separately, there’s how you’ll get paid — in California there are programs that give you partial pay during this time. Your leave depends on the size of your employer, your health conditions, and how you deliver (vaginal or cesarean), and what programs you qualify for.
What else does this guide have? How do you talk with your boss about leave? What are reasonable work accommodations? What rights do you have to pump breastmilk at work? And more!
Navigating family leave is not easy. When
we’ve talked to pregnant people
, family leave is one of the top topics they ask us about. It’s no wonder why — there are so many things to keep track of.
So why is this impossibly complicated? Why do you need four degrees and a spreadsheet to figure it out? This is our attempt to answer your questions about pregnancy and work in California.
We talked with several experts across the field; most of the answers around how California law intersects with work come from Katherine Wutchiett, staff attorney at Legal Aid at Work, which runs a
work and family helpline
that provides free, confidential advice to parents and caregivers.
How the US compares with the world
Because the laws vary so widely by region and by each person’s health conditions, figuring out your benefits takes a little bit of calculation.
About This Series
Pregnancy is a wild journey, with so many unknowns. Your body’s changing in all kinds of ways, and you’re feeling all the feels. LAist is currently exploring
pregnancy, birth, and new parent life
in this special series.
Do you have a question about pregnancy? Text “heybb” to 73224.
And worldwide, this is not the norm. The United States is
one of just seven
countries in the world without a comprehensive program for national paid maternity leave. The average length for those that do have leave is 29 weeks.
Estonians get up to 86 weeks
of paid family leave, over a year and a half — for any parent, foster, adoptive, or guardian.
But in the U.S.,
nearly one in four employed mothers
return to work just two weeks after giving birth. If you are wondering what that might be like (hint: not recommended), check out LAist’s guide to the postpartum phase.
California is one of the few states in the country that does offer a constellation of laws to provide for work accommodations and leave around pregnancy.
Wutchiett says that just knowing these rights can lead to more stability at work in the long-term. “A lot of the issues that we see that come up, are people quit their job or are fired because they don't get the changes that they need in their pregnancy, when they are entitled to pregnancy accommodations,” she adds.
Do I need to tell my employer I’m pregnant?
First off, it’s important to know you’ve got rights!
Wutchiett says the first step is to start doing research to understand your basic rights in California.
“Employers don't always have it 100% right,” she says, adding that it’s important to know a bit about the basics before having a conversation with your employer.
Wutchiett says people often ask if they are required to tell their employer that they are pregnant. The answer is no, you are not — but certain legal protections and benefits are connected to being pregnant, like work accommodations and time off. So, she says, “Once you want to make use of those protections you need to tell your employer so that you can trigger their obligation to provide those to you.”
If you’re worried about your employer’s reaction, know that it’s illegal for your employer to discriminate against you or harass you due to pregnancy.
If you work at a place with five or more employees, your sick leave will protect your job if you need to take time off for prenatal medical care, morning sickness, or other pregnancy-related conditions. In the state of California, as of Jan. 1, 2024, you have
five guaranteed paid sick days
to cover this time off (in addition to any benefits your employer provides). Other cities may have more time off — like Los Angeles (48 hours, or six days) and Santa Monica (depends on your employer). Look up what
type of sick leave
is available in the specific city or state where you live.
Information from Legal Aid at Work
(
LAist Design Staff
)
What are reasonable work accommodations?
Now that you’re pregnant, some aspects of the way you work may need to change.
Under the
California Fair Employment and Housing Act
, your employer is required to provide accommodations to pregnant employees — as long as they are reasonable and advised by a health employer.
As Wutchiett explains, there’s no specific list of what these accommodations could be. “It completely depends on that person's job and what their healthcare provider recommends,” she says.
For example, if you work in a restaurant, it could be that a different server takes out the larger trays of food. Work accommodations can also include teleworking, switching from a position at the register to a position in the back of the stockroom, or if you have a job that usually requires standing, you can ask for a seat.
Accommodations are available to all employees, including part-time workers and those who are new to their job.
If you are looking for how to structure your email request to your employer or need a note from your doctor, you can download some
sample letters
.
How do I take time off to care for my baby?
First, the TL;DR version.
Usually, depending on your medical condition, you can receive benefits up to four weeks before your expected delivery date and then up to six weeks after your delivery (without complications) and up to eight weeks after your delivery (cesarean birth).
Then, under California’s Paid Family Leave program, usually you can receive benefits for another eight weeks. After that, you may be entitled to another four weeks off unpaid.
All this may vary depending on where you work, your work status, and your health conditions.
OK. How does this all work?
Here’s what’s key to understanding leave from work: There are laws that give you the right to go on leave and protect your job while you’re out. And then, separately, there’s how you’ll get paid — in California there are programs that give you partial pay during this time.
Your leave depends on the size of your employer, your health conditions, and how you deliver (vaginal or cesarean), and what programs you qualify for.
A typical leave for a vaginal birth in California includes a total of 22 weeks off, with up to four weeks before the due date and 18 weeks afterwards, with 17 of those weeks paid at 70-90%.
A typical leave for a cesarean birth is a total of 22 weeks off, with up to four weeks before the due date and 18 weeks afterwards, with 19 of those weeks paid at 70-90%.
Information from Legal Aid at Work
(
LAist design staff
)
Now let's talk about other protections.
If your employer has five or more employees, there are two laws that protect your job while you are out on leave —
Pregnancy Disability Leave
and the
California Family Rights Act
. Pregnancy Disability Leave is designed to provide leave before and after birth, depending on your particular health conditions. The California Family Rights Act provides time off for bonding with a new child if you’ve worked with your employer for a year or more. Both of these laws require you to give your employer at least 30 days' advance notice.
It’s important to note that as of 2021, the California Family Rights Act
is available to workplaces with five or more employees
. It previously only covered larger workplaces, so if you work for a smaller employer, they may not be aware of this change. Also, the federal
Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
overlaps with state laws — it does not provide you with additional leave.
To get paid while you are out, California has two programs that can provide pay. First, there’s
State Disability Insurance
, which provides a portion of your pay before and after your due date. Usually, depending on your medical condition, you can receive benefits up to four weeks before your expected delivery date and then up to six weeks after your delivery (without complications) and up to eight weeks after your delivery (cesarean birth).
California’s
Paid Family Leave
program then provides a portion of your pay for eight weeks to bond with a new child. People who don’t give birth can also use this program — that includes spouses and adoptive or foster parents.
Workers earning 70% or less of the state's average wage are eligible for
90% of their regular wages
under the State Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave programs. For 2025, that's about $63,000. If you make more than that, you'll get 70% of your regular wages.
Both of these programs are available regardless of citizenship and immigration status. They are 100% worker funded. You can look at your pay stub and if it says CASDI, this is the amount of your money that is going into this fund. If you are undocumented, you can see
this guide on how to apply
.
Jenya Cassidy, director of the
California Work and Family Coalition
, says educating yourself on the basics of California laws is a helpful start. “You'd be surprised how many HR departments get this wrong and will tell a pregnant worker in California you have 12 weeks all together, which is not true,” she says.
Keep in mind all these things are a minimum. They are the floor and your employer may have extra benefits to add to this mix.
For example:
Some employers supplement the 70-90% of your pay that California disability and paid family leave offer, to take your pay up to 100%.
Your employer can allow you more time off than what is guaranteed by law.
Some employers allow flexible work arrangements upon return.
And maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who work for Netflix and you can take as long as you need (
averaging four to eight months
, the company says)
Wutchiett recommends that if you make a special arrangement with your employer about benefits or time off, you confirm your conversation in writing, though email or a text. There’s no state agency that would step in for things above and beyond California law, but having documentation can help you make your case through other avenues.
If you live in San Francisco, the
Paid Parental Leave Ordinance
requires employers to supplement Paid Family Leave so that during your leave you receive 100% of your pay (up to a cap). San Francisco also has
other special benefits
around pregnancy and parenting.
P.S. Be prepared to be in contact with state agencies and/or insurance companies at the beginning of your leave. I remember one guy from the insurance company whose job was just to call people and ask if they had a vaginal or cesarean birth. In the crucial first days of birth, I was so exhausted I almost missed his call.
How does paid family leave for adoption or fostering work?
If you are an
adoptive and foster parent
, you also have the right to take leave to bond with and care for your new child.
Eligible employees have the right to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave from work, with potentially
8 of those weeks partially paid
under California’s Paid Family Leave program. You’ll need to give 30 days’ advance notice to your employer if possible (or tell them as soon as you can). If your employer requests documentation like a letter from a foster care or adoption agency, you should provide that.
Learn more
about how this works.
California workers can also take sick time and leave to care for
chosen family
. As of 2023, employees can take time off to care for a “designated person,” someone who is a blood relative or someone else they consider like family. If you are an LGBTQ+ parent or have a nontraditional family structure, you might find this useful.
Family caregivers
can use California’s Paid Family Leave program to care for relatives.
What rights do I have to pump breastmilk at work?
A 2020 law
requires employers to give employees the break time they need to pump at work. You can decide the amount of time you need, since it varies for each person. Your employer doesn’t need to pay for this time, except if you pump during your normal break times.
Your work must also provide an adequate space to express milk. It must:
Be shielded from view, and free from intrusion
Be safe, clean, and free from hazardous materials
Contain a surface to place a breast pump and personal items
Contain a place to sit and have access to electricity or alternative devices including, but not limited to, extension cords or charging stations
Have access to a sink with running water and a refrigerator suitable for storing milk
Not be a bathroom!
These are basic things, but Wutchiett says she has heard from people whose bosses told them to pump in, like, a chilled wine room or hallway or a supply closet. Not cool!
And also, as it turns out, not legal.
Your employer is also required to have a lactation policy and affirmatively distribute it to employees when they hire them.
How do I talk to my boss about pregnancy?
Like we previously wrote for LAist in a
guide to sick leave
, for starters, these things are key:
Get it in writing. It's fine to request leave over the phone or in person, but follow up in writing. That way you have a record of your conversation.
Include the details. Make sure you include the dates you anticipate needing leave, when you expect to be able to return to work, and the reason you are not able to work.
Name drop the law. It can be helpful to include the name of the law or laws that provide the leave you’re requesting. That way, says Wutchiett, if the employer is unfamiliar with the law, they can look it up.
And to finesse the conversation …
Give as much notice as you can. For pregnancy leave, the laws require a 30-day notice if possible.
Rehearse. Run your email or text by a friend to double check it. It can make you feel more prepared.
Take a buddy. Cassidy has seen it work with people who are talking to their employer about lactation accommodations. Also, approach your supervisor in a friendly way to educate them. You know your boss, so you probably have a good idea about what approach would work best.
Most importantly, says Wutchiett, remember: “It’s against the law for people to treat people worse because they try to assert any of these rights.”
If your employer is telling you something that is incorrect or doing something against the law,
see some tips
.
What time off can I use for pregnancy loss or miscarriage?
Experiencing a pregnancy loss is rough. In addition to potential physical recovery, there’s also the need to
process grief and make meaning
out of your experience. The time and space you need can be difficult to come by in a world that continues to move fast.
Time off from your job is protected under these laws:
Reproductive Loss Leave
, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, covers five days of unpaid leave for a failed adoption, failed surrogacy, miscarriage, stillbirth, or an unsuccessful assisted reproduction.
The
Pregnancy Disability Leave Act
also covers up to four months of job-protected, unpaid leave for health conditions related to pregnancy. This can include physical recovery as well as mental health issues.
To receive pay during this time, you can use
five days of sick leave
available in California — or
more, depending on the city
where you live. You may also be eligible to receive 70% or 90% of your income while you are disabled and recovering through
California’s State Disability Insurance (SDI)
program. You’ll have to consult with your doctor about how much time is necessary in your case. A typical recovery from a live birth is six to eight weeks.
All of these protections and benefits are available regardless of immigration status.
As with the other leave laws I mention here, these laws are the minimum required under state law. Your employer may have additional bereavement time and you can talk with them about other special arrangements — just make sure to document any agreements that you make!
California’s laws around pregnancy and work don’t cover everyone — if you work at a workplace with four or fewer employees or are an independent contractor, many of these laws may not apply to you. Many public sector workers, like teachers and city employees, also
aren't eligible
for the state's paid leave program because they don't pay into the state's disability insurance fund. You may find that you have challenges submitting your application when many of the forms are available only in English. You may experience delays as EDD processes your claim.
And, of course, just because you have rights does not mean your employer will make it easy for you to enjoy them.
Cassidy suggests that if you are running into problems accessing paid leave and you don’t have a union, you should call your
state representative
. Yes, really! She says that representatives have successfully helped elevate cases that they have flagged for them, and it also lets elected representatives know the policies as they stand aren’t working. And don’t be intimidated. It’s literally their job to listen to you.
Also, as Cassidy said
previously to LAist
, “It can be very satisfying, when you're frustrated about something, to at least know that you're doing what you can.”
How to take family leave
These resources were recommended by California legal experts, birth workers and families.
Work and family basics and help
Legal Aid at Work
: Overview of California laws and helpline to get pro-bono legal advice, handouts about family leave and returning to work, sample letters to share with your doctor, and more
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment and digital equity reporter.
Published November 13, 2025 5:00 AM
L.A. Metro staff at the North Hollywood B Line Station.
(
L.A. Metro
)
Topline:
Metro riders once again will have to tap to enter and exit the North Hollywood and Union stations
starting Monday
. The agency says the program will also expand to include the A Line’s Pomona North Station.
Why now? Metro reported that 86% of surveyed riders felt safer because of the feature at the North Hollywood station last year. The agency also says reports in the
Transit Watch app
, which tracks crime and other issues, dropped by more than 40% on the B Line.
How it works: When you tap when hopping on transit, your fare is deducted — tapping out confirms your charge. But if you didn’t pay your fare at the beginning of your trip, you will be charged when you tap out.
“You are expected to pay fare when entering the system and you could be warned, cited or removed from the system for failure to pay fare when entering,” according to Metro.
Where else is the program operating at? The program has been ongoing at the E Line’s Downtown Santa Monica Station.
This isn’t new: Metro launched the pilot program last year in an effort to crack down on fare evasion and improve safety. The agency says the feature is common for other major transit systems, including BART in San Francisco.
See artists like John Mooney at Venice Open Studios.
(
John Mooney
/
Venice Open Studios
)
In this edition:
Benny Boy Brewery wants YOU to crush apples. Plus, Venice Open Studios and Baratunde Thurston in Long Beach.
Highlights:
CONGRESS invites the audience to participate in a salon-style environment, creating a conversation that bridges genres and builds community through movement. Eight choreographers come together at the event to “create a unique piece showcasing both LA’s rising stars and established creative voices.”
Bring a non-perishable food item and your dancing energy for a free hip-hop and R&B DJ set from Yaya Bey, who’s performing an intimate show to support Feed the Streets.
Take a peek inside many of the artist studios in one of the city’s most artsy neighborhoods, Venice, at Venice Open Studios. Learn about the beachside community’s art-centric history and visit artist spaces to learn more about the creative processes behind the work of locals.
Comedian and host Baratunde Thurston (The Daily Show, America Outdoors) brings his take on the future, AI and more to the Carpenter Center in Long Beach for an evening of laughs and community as part of the venue’s Wit & Wisdom series.
And celebrate all things cider at Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th annual Applefest Fall Festival — including actually crushing the apples.
There are some really special music events this weekend. Miguel is playing a set at The Broad on Saturday afternoon, and Patti Smith is rocking through her landmark album Horses on its 50th anniversary at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Plus, Tyler, the Creator’s sold-out Camp Flog Gnaw is happening all weekend long at Dodger Stadium.
Licorice Pizza
has even more music listings for you.
Saturday, November 15, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Yaya Bey The Airliner 2419 N. Broadway, Lincoln Heights COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Ra.co
)
Bring a non-perishable food item and your dancing energy for a free hip-hop and R&B DJ set from Yaya Bey, who’s performing an intimate show to support Feed the Streets. Do some good to support those in our community struggling with SNAP benefit cuts and have some fun — a double win.
Friday, November 14, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Innovation Social: Rhythmic Wave I: A Journey to 5054 Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Music Center 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. COST: FREE WITH RSVP; MORE INFO
Dance meets immersive technology meets Afrofuturism in Rhythmic Wave I: A Journey to 5054, a performance from Faith “Aya” Umoh. Umoh, who won last year’s MIT XR Grand Prize, is also a Royal Shakespeare fellow who blends her theater and dance experience with motion capture, ancestral Nigerian dance, and AI. She’ll be performing (for free!) at this latest iteration of the Music Center’s Innovation Social series.
Friday, November 14 to Sunday, November 16 CONGRESS Vol. XII L.A. Dance Project 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $55; MORE INFO
More dance! CONGRESS invites the audience to participate in a salon-style environment, creating a conversation that bridges genres and builds community through movement. Eight choreographers come together at the event to “create a unique piece showcasing both L.A.'s rising stars and established creative voices.”
November 15 to 23, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. nightly Mountains of the Moon 1600 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica COST: $10; MORE INFO
(
Jay Blakesberg
/
Outside PR
)
Calling all Deadheads, flower children and tie-dye enthusiasts — and I mean all that in the best possible way. Artist, skier and filmmaker Chris Benchetler is launching Mountains of the Moon, an immersive experience set to the music of the Grateful Dead. The week-long premiere event, in partnership with Arc’teryx, includes the film itself and background on how it was made.
Saturday, November 15, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Grandma’s House Hollywood, exact location upon RSVP COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
1Community
)
Grandmas are the best. Enter this unique experience — part museum, part culinary adventure, all heart — which takes you into the homes of several real-life and much-admired L.A. grandmas. The team behind the Netflix film Nonnas has created a series of themed rooms curated by the women who share their stories, recipes and keepsakes in this walk-through experience. The grandmothers featured are:
Fran Jemmott
, co-founder of the California Black Women's Health Project;
Odilia Romero
, a pivotal figure in advocacy for Indigenous migrant communities; and Pauline Bunt, a doting grandmother of four with Sicilian and Neapolitan Calabrian roots. The experience also includes bites from Komal chef Fatima Juarez, sharing the flavors of her native Mexico City.
Sunday, November 16, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Venice Open Studios 2025 Multiple locations in Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Take a peek inside many of the artist studios in one of the city’s most artsy neighborhoods: Venice. Learn about the beachside community’s art-centric history and visit artist spaces to learn more about the creative processes behind the work of locals like William Attaway (who did the shell mosaics on the Boardwalk) and Alejandro Gehry, and visit local favorite spots like Sunset Avenue gallery Arcane Space.
Saturday, November 15, 8 p.m. An Evening With Baratunde Thurston Carpenter Center 6200 E. Atherton Street, Long Beach COST: FROM $33.75; MORE INFO
Baratunde is coming to Long Beach.
(
Mathieu Young
/
Carpenter Arts
)
Comedian and host Baratunde Thurston (The Daily Show, America Outdoors) brings his take on the future, AI and more to the Carpenter Center in Long Beach. It’s part of the venue’s Wit & Wisdom series, and promises to be an evening of laughs and community.
Through January 10, 2026 Opening reception: Saturday, November 15, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Perspective and Plane Louis Stern Fine Arts 9002 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Courtesy Louis Stern Fine Arts
)
Perspective and Plane is a group exhibition pairing works by Louis Stern Gallery artists with those of artists from a different era, encouraging the viewer to reflect on the relationship between past and present. The show includes paintings, photography and sculptures by artists like Lorser Feitelson, Helen Lundeberg, Karl Benjamin and Alfredo Ramos Martínez, as well as contemporary artists like James Little, Mark Leonard, Mokha Laget and Cecilia Z. Miguez.
Outdoor Pick
Saturday, November 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Native Bees with Krystle Hickman Los Angeles County Arboretum 301 North Baldwin Ave., Arcadia COST: $20; MORE INFO
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Aaron Burden
/
Unsplash
)
National Geographic Explorer and community scientist Krystle Hickman leads a conversation about one of our most precious natural resources — bees — at the Arboretum. Her work centers on native bees and the ecosystems they call home.
Viewing Pick
Sunday, November 16, 5 p.m. Organist Roger Sayer: Interstellar in Concert First Congregational Church of Los Angeles 40 South Commonwealth Ave., Rampart Village COST: $33.85; MORE INFO
(
Paramount Pictures
/
Facebook
)
While this is more of a listening pick than a viewing pick, I hope you’ll forgive the loose interpretation. The magic of the music of Interstellar, Christopher Nolan’s 2015 epic space adventure, was a collaboration between Hans Zimmer and organist Roger Sayer, who is performing pieces from the soundtrack at the First Congregational Church. Those acoustics! Get it! The concert also includes additional space-themed pieces, like the opening theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey and selections from The Planets by Gustav Holst. The concert *does* include a short documentary about the creation of the Interstellar soundtrack, followed by an audience Q&A.
Dine & Drink Deals
Saturday and Sunday, November 15 and 16 Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th Annual Applefest Fall Festival 1821 Daly Street, Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Benny Boy Brewing
)
Celebrate all things cider at Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th annual Applefest Fall Festival — including actually crushing the apples. Get hands-on in the harvest and help sort, crush and press apples on Benny Boy’s old-fashioned rack and cloth press to make a community cider. Nearly 500 volunteers have collectively crushed and pressed 3 tons of apples at the annual event!
Saturday, November 15, 11 a.m. 3 p.m. Joimo Kombucha 'Sips of Pure Joy' Tasting Event 1375 E. 15th Street, Arts District COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Joimo Kombucha
)
More fermentation is on the menu at Joimo Kombucha. Get a tour of the fermentation room, learn about the brewing process, and try free tastings of the pungent, sparkly, probiotic brew.
Cato Hernández
explores tangible ways people can make an impact on their lives and neighborhood.
Published November 13, 2025 5:00 AM
Baby lettuce grows in a hydroponic tower in Santa Barbara.
(
George Rose
/
Getty Images
)
Topline:
The L.A. City Council has approved funding for a project that will teach San Fernando Valley residents how to build and run a hydroponic system to grow food indoors and outdoors.
The details: Mid Valley Family YMCA will teach residents in Mission Hills, Panorama City and North Hills about hydroponic gardening, a process whereby plants grow in water instead of soil. The program will cover skills to build your own system and best practices for planting.
The money: The nonprofit will get nearly $390,000 to run the program. The money comes from funds already set aside for L.A. REPAIR, the city’s participatory budget program, which asked Angelenos in 2023 to vote on how to spend a pot of money. The designated neighborhoods are part of the Valley’s
L.A. REPAIR Zone,
designated neighborhoods impacted by structural and historic racism.
The backstory: Mid Valley Family YMCA is stepping in because the original grantee dropped out recently. Another program is the works for urban farming.
Julia Paskin
is the local host of All Things Considered and the L.A. Report Evening Edition.
Published November 13, 2025 5:00 AM
Artist and advocate Gary Tyler.
(
Dorian Hill
/
Courtesy 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 bussed 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
(
Courtesy of Gary Tyler's archive
)
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
(
Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
)
'Unforgiven,' 2025
(
Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
)
'Convict Poker,' 2025;
(
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.
(
Official Welcome Gallery
)
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.”
"Illuminations from a Captured Soul" is now on display at the Official Welcome Gallery in Los Angeles through Dec. 20.
