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.
“I learned about Negro History Week. […] I also walked around the community, knocked on doors and got petitions signed for Angela Davis…