The mural was created with the help of community healers and formerly incarcerated leaders, including Tobias Tubbs and Kenneth Webb, both of whom grew up in South LA during a period of heightened violence
A new mural titled “The Healing Fields” was unveiled Sunday, August 3, in South Los Angeles, as part of LA vs Hate’s Signs of Solidarity campaign. Created by local artist Kenneth Webb, the mural was revealed at the Hear Me Out center, which offers healing programs and life-skills education for youth and adults returning from incarceration.
The mural aims to counter rising hate, discrimination, and division in LA County by promoting inclusion and respect for diversity. This event is part of a broader effort by LA vs Hate to use public art—such as murals, posters, and yard signs—to foster a sense of shared identity and community solidarity.
“The Healing Fields” follows the unveiling of another LA vs Hate mural earlier this year, “Sabr at Fajr”, at the Islamic Center of Southern California. Both works are part of a growing movement to reclaim public space and visually express LA County’s core values of dignity, inclusion, and care.
LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, whose district includes South LA, offered a taped acknowledgment at the event. “This mural depicts our connection to each other, our planet, and those that came before us,” Mitchell said. “I’m proud that this location, which supports young people accessing opportunities, will now be the home of this inspiring art.”
Robin Toma, Executive Director of the LA County Commission on Human Relations, called the mural “a declaration that even in communities most impacted by harm, hope can take root.” Toma emphasized that the mural, along with others in the Signs of Solidarity campaign, speaks to the strength found in diversity and unity.
The mural was created with the help of community healers and formerly incarcerated leaders, including Tobias Tubbs and Kenneth Webb, both of whom grew up in South LA during a period of heightened violence. Tubbs, co-founder of Hear Me Out, said the mural’s message is rooted in transformation, love, and the belief that healing begins with how we see one another. Webb described the mural as a depiction of the turning point after devastation, emphasizing that it symbolizes the choice to rebuild and choose life even after loss.
At the center of the mural is a powerful image of a hand, representing duality—the same hand that can cause harm can also heal and restore. This central image encapsulates the mural’s message of transformation, reconciliation, and community rebuilding.
The unveiling ceremony was marked by a range of cultural performances, including the Chumash Cultural Collective Singers, Ketzaliztli Danza Azteca, and Puentes De Poder Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian traditions. A clay sculpture workshop led by renowned artist Akinsanya Kambon also took place.
