On Monday, November 9, Rethinking Schools editor Jesse Hagopian will be in conversation with author Gary Tyler about his book Stitching Freedom: A True Story of Injustice, Defiance, and Hope in Angola Prison.
Gary Tyler spent more than four decades in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. At 17, he became the youngest person on death row in the United States.
The legacy of enslavement reverberates through the prison industrial complex. Angola Prison, where Tyler spent decades incarcerated, was built on the grounds of a former Louisiana plantation. On November 9, join our Teach the Black Freedom Struggle class to explore the connections between mass incarceration and the legacy of enslavement, and learn what sustained Tyler’s pursuit of justice.
Gary Tyler is an artist and a spokesperson for justice. Tyler’s case galvanized a movement that grew to have national and international support, one of the precursors to today’s abolition and Black Lives Matter movements. He was recently named a 2026 Galaxy Gives Leader Fellow and awarded the 2024 Frieze LA Impact Prize, which recognizes artists who use their talents and abilities to address social justice issues. Stitching Freedom is his first book.
ASL interpretation and professional development credit certificates are provided.
Copies of Stitching Freedom will be given to 25 attendees.
These online classes with people’s historians are held at least once a month (generally on Mondays) at 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET for 75 minutes. In each session, the historian is interviewed by a teacher and breakout rooms allow participants to meet each other in small groups, discuss the content, and share teaching ideas. We designed the sessions for teachers and other school staff. Parents, students, and others are also welcome to participate.
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