The city of Los Angeles unveils a new tribute to attorney Willis O. Tyler, honoring his impactful career that included representing a Black police officer in a groundbreaking case against racially restrictive housing covenants.
Joining City Councilman Kevin de Leon at the 8 a.m. ceremony held at Second and Spring streets were notable attorneys George C. Fatheree III and George Mallory.
Fatheree, the leader of the legal team responsible for reclaiming Bruce’s Beach on behalf of Willa and Charles Bruce’s descendants, made an appearance. This significant event marked the return of the property taken by Manhattan Beach decades ago due to racial discrimination.
In 1924, Tyler represented the Bruces in their legal battle against Manhattan Beach, which had wrongfully seized their property under false claims of park development through eminent domain. Unfortunately, the Bruces’ efforts were futile.
Mallory, head of the Los Angeles chapter of Sigma Pi Phi, a distinguished post-graduate fraternity for eminent Black professionals, was also present to pay respects.
Councilman De Leon spearheaded the initiative to designate the intersection near Tyler’s former law office at 224 S. Spring St., highlighting his commitment to recognizing individuals from historically marginalized groups who played a pivotal role in shaping Los Angeles.
Tyler’s legal representation extended to H.L. Garrott, a Black police officer who bought a family home in South Los Angeles. However, a recorded deed imposed racial restrictions, disallowing any sale to individuals of “African, Chinese, or Japanese descent.”
Upon discovering Garrott’s ownership, the Title Guarantee & Trust Co. sued him to relinquish his property without compensation.
In the landmark 1919 case, Tyler argued that the racially restrictive covenant violated the 14th Amendment’s due process clause. Garrott emerged victorious in Title Guarantee & Trust Company v. Garrott, as a state appellate court ruled in his favor.
It was not until the 1948 Missouri case Shelley v. Kraemer that the U.S. Supreme Court finally invalidated racially restrictive covenants.
Willis O. Tyler was born in Bloomington, Illinois, on July 19, 1880. He faced early adversity, losing both parents at a young age. Raised by his aunt, a prominent figure in the Underground Railroad, Tyler was exposed to the network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans in the 19th century to escape to free states and eventually Canada.
At the age of 16, Tyler enrolled at Indiana University, where he studied for two years before enlisting in the Indiana Colored Volunteer Infantry in 1898 to fight in the Spanish American War. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1902 and completed his education at Harvard Law School in 1908.
Willis O. Tyler passed away on June 18, 1949, at the age of 68. After practicing law in Los Angeles for over 35 years, he left behind a lasting legacy.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
