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Charleena Lyles – The Story

August 22, 2020 by Clara Nartey 14 Comments

Dear Creative Friend, I completed a new piece of work and it’s now time to tell the story behind the artwork. Here’s Charleena Lyles’ story. 

The Story of Charleena Lyles

On June 16, 2017, the Minnesota officer who fatally shot Philando Castile a year prior, during a traffic stop over a broken taillight, was found not guilty. This sparked angry protests. Thousands of people dissatisfied with the verdict gathered in the streets of Minnesota to protest.

That weekend was Father’s Day weekend. 

Over 1,000 miles across the country, in the university district of Seattle, Washington, a young pregnant woman – Charleena Lyles- was at home in her apartment with three of her four children.

Shortly after 10 am on that Father’s Day, Charleena Lyles became worried that a burglar had broken into her home while she wasn’t there. So, she called the police for help. 

Charleena Lyles | Fiber Art | Thread Painting | Textile Art | Art Quilt | #CharleenaLyles
Charleena, detail © 2020 Clara Nartey, machine stitching on digital art print, cotton

Two police officers went to her apartment in response to her call. Usually, only one officer would have responded to such a call. However, the police had had a previous encounter with Charleena after which they put an “officer safety caution” in her file.

Charleena struggled with some mental health issues. In her previous interaction with the police, they described her as “talking all crazy”and arming herself with a pair of scissors. 

So having this background, instead of one, the police department sent two officers to her home to respond to the burglary report.

When they arrived, initially, the interaction was calm. However, they soon encountered a problem. Officers say at some point, Charleena armed herself with a knife. 

When she didn’t obey their command to drop the knife, one officer yelled to the other: “Tase her!” The other officer replied, “I don’t have a Taser,” 

Charleena Lyles | Fiber Art | Thread Painting | Textile Art | Art Quilt | #CharleenaLyles
Charleena, detail © 2020 Clara Nartey, machine stitching on digital art print, cotton

So, instead of employing non-lethal options in dealing with a 100lbs pregnant woman with mental health issues, the officers shot her seven times, including twice in the back, killing her.  Additionally, the bullets cut through her uterus, killing her fetus, (estimated to be about 15 weeks old).

As a result, another protest broke out in another city in America, over another police killing of a Black person. This time, it was in Seattle, Washington.

Fast forward three years later, a Black man is arrested for passing a fake $20, in the same place Philando Castile was killed – Minnesota. 

In broad day light as the entire nation saw it play out on video, this man – George Floyd – is killed by another group of police officers, while he cried out for his mother. That video traumatized me. I just couldn’t “unsee” what I’d seen on the video.

The entire nation was awakened! 

The world started to pay attention.

I became more aware of racial tensions.

Charleena Lyles | Fiber Art | Thread Painting | Textile Art | Art Quilt | #CharleenaLyles
Charleena, detail © 2020 Clara Nartey, machine stitching on digital art print, cotton

Massive protests – the size, the reach, and depth of which I haven’t seen in my lifetime, broke out in each and every state across the United States of America and across the world. A new chapter in Race Relations in America was opened.

People – young, old, White, Black, Colored, rich, poor – all started demanding social justice. Everyone wanted to do something.

At the end of June this year, I learned of an organization called Social Justice Sewing Academy who were being the change they wanted to see. The organization was formed by a young lady called Sara Trail. They were making banners to honor the many lives which have been lost through violence. 

I volunteered to create a quilt block for their banner. That was when I was assigned Charleena Lyles’ name to make a quilt block in her honor. 

I’d never heard about Charleena until I was assigned her name. I don’t know how I missed her story in 2017. I slowly learned through newspaper articles and social media what had happened to her. 

It broke my heart. 
Charleena Lyles | Fiber Art | Thread Painting | Textile Art | Art Quilt | #CharleenaLyles
Charleena, detail © 2020 Clara Nartey, machine stitching on digital art print, cotton

How could this have happened?

There was a pattern in her interactions with the police which would make you think that surely, their plan of action in dealing with her on subsequent occasions will include the care she deserved given the mental health issues she dealt with and what the department knew about her. That didn’t happen.

I had more questions than I had answers. 

How can someone be shot in the back if they are coming at you with a knife? Her children were in the apartment. They certainly heard / saw their mother being killed. What kind of trauma and mental health issues will this create for these young ones? Why didn’t the police have non-lethal options other than to shoot and kill?

It was hard to find a meaningful way to create a quilt block to honor Charleena. What do you do that is worthy of honoring a life that was lost in this way? What do you create? How do you make something that is good enough?

After I was done making Charleena’s quilt block, I knew I wanted to create a full-sized portrait to honor Charleena Lyles and to tell her story. I knew that if I hadn’t heard about her story until recently, then there were people just like me, who don’t know her story.

Charleena Lyles | Fiber Art | Thread Painting | Textile Art | Art Quilt | #CharleenaLyles
Charleena, detail © 2020 Clara Nartey, machine stitching on digital art print, cotton

I resolved that the one thing I could do to truly honor Charleena was to tell her story. Hopefully, her story will result in some policy changes. Hopefully, her children will grow up to learn that the world cared about their mom. Hopefully, it will change some hearts for good.

So, when I heard that my Charleena Lyles portrait had been selected to be part of the multisite exhibition – “We Are the Story” – I was beside myself. My dream had come true. Charleena’s story is going to be told to a wide audience just like I’d hoped.

“We Are the Story” is an epic, large scale exhibition curated by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi in partnership with The Textile Center, Minnesota.

Yes, you guessed right! It’s come full circle.

Charleena’s portrait is going to Minnesota. Her story is going to be told in the very place, where George Floyd was killed – the epicenter of the nationwide protest. My dream has come true in a way I could never have planned out myself. It was meant to be just this way. 

Charleena Lyles | Fiber Art | Thread Painting | Textile Art | Art Quilt | #CharleenaLyles
Charleena, © 2020 Clara Nartey, machine stitching on digital art print, cotton

Charleena gets to be on stage. She deserves the spotlight that’s going to be put on her as a result of “We Are The Story” exhibition. This will indeed be a fitting tribute to the person she was and who she could have become. 

Love.

Clara's Signature

PS: Go here to find out the exhibition details about “We Are the Story”. I’ll be updating that page with more information as I get it. Please share with people who live in Minnesota who can go see the exhibition or who have family and friends there.

PPS: Want more? Read other Stories Behind the Art

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Comments

  1. Betty Warner says

    August 22, 2020 at 2:04 pm

    This work is wonderful, Clara. I appreciate that I now know her story and I am happy your work will be on display for others to see.

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      August 22, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      Thanks Betty.
      I appreciate you taking time to read Charleena’s story. I also appreciate your comments about the work.
      Warmest regards
      Clara.

      Reply
    • Jan says

      August 22, 2020 at 5:38 pm

      Wonderful…. great work.

      Reply
      • Clara Nartey says

        August 22, 2020 at 6:18 pm

        Thanks, Jan.
        Making this particular piece was good for me. In many ways.
        Best regards.

        Reply
        • Bridget says

          October 28, 2022 at 3:42 pm

          Charleena is my sister. Thank You for understanding her story as if you knew her personally. I love the art as well🥰

          Reply
    • Bonita harr says

      August 24, 2020 at 8:44 pm

      BEAUTIFUL

      Reply
      • Clara Nartey says

        August 24, 2020 at 8:50 pm

        Thank you, Bonita

        Reply
  2. Melanie says

    August 23, 2020 at 10:59 am

    Your tribute to Charleena is beautiful. The love you put into this piece is moving. It’s great that Charleena’s story will be shared with so many. Thank you for honoring her.

    Reply
  3. Clara Nartey says

    August 23, 2020 at 11:15 am

    Thanks 😊 so much Melanie,
    I‘m very happy that Charleena’s story is going to be heard.

    Reply
  4. Carol Capozzoli says

    August 23, 2020 at 1:00 pm

    Hi Clara,
    Your quilt is beautiful, your craft has progressed so much and you have developed a style that is very recognizable as a Clara Narty quilt. The story behind your quilt is sad beyond tears. And as far as all this upheaval, I think it is as bad as the “race riots” I experienced in the 60’s, AND shows how much we as a country have not progressed in many ways and how much we need to improve in our country.
    I am looking forward to your sharing of your techniques as I have several drawings- ideas for quilts that I would like to do but need to hone my skills further.
    Miss seeing u in person, so virtual hugs to you.
    Carol

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      August 23, 2020 at 11:09 pm

      Thanks Carol. You’re right. My skills have definitely progressed from where they were years ago.
      I think we’ll make much more progress with race relations if people are not so uncomfortable talking about it.
      Oh, you’re certainly going to get the fail-proof collage technique I developed that gives both beginners and advanced users confidence to create collage. Watch out for it. Coming out on the blog soon.
      Hugs (I miss you too)

      Reply
  5. Cathy C says

    August 25, 2020 at 12:40 am

    Thank you for telling Charlenna’s story, and for your amazing portraits. I love them! The SJSA is a great organization with their project to help remember the names & lives of the many who have died needlessly at the hands of the police.

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      August 25, 2020 at 3:13 am

      Thanks Cathy for your kind words about my art. And SJSA is truly doing an amazing job memorializing people we’d never have probably heard of.

      Reply
  6. Bridget says

    October 28, 2022 at 3:42 pm

    Charleena is my sister. Thank You for understanding her story as if you knew her personally. I love the art as well🥰

    Reply

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