Tyra Patterson

Tyra Patterson was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. On December 25, 2017, she walked out of prison after serving 23 years for crimes she did not commit.

Today, Tyra travels all over the country speaking at law schools, colleges, prisons, conferences and high schools, leveraging her story to educate people on injustice, mass incarceration and wrongful convictions. She currently lives in Cincinnati and works at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, where she serves as a Community Outreach Strategist and Paralegal. Tyra also maintains paralegal and fundraising duties at OJPC. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Just Media and a proud Art For Justice Fund grantee where she directs her energy towards systemic change.

Her story has been covered by many publications including Rolling Stone, Essence, the Guardian and many others.

Tyra is heavily involved in the arts community of Cincinnati, specifically advocating for the hiring of artists directly impacted by incarceration and pathways for entrepreneurship. She also uses art to educate people on the issues of social, racial, gender and economic justice.

Request Tyra to speak at your event