Eyes on the Street: Rainbow Halo Rises in Venice, Commemorating Prynsess Brazzle

Yesterday, LADOT installed a Rainbow Halo in Venice to remember Prynsess Brazzle, the 22-year-old killed by a hit-and-run driver on August 22 of last year at the intersection of Pacific and Rose Avenues. Brazzle, a native of Georgia, came to Los Angeles to help people experiencing homelessness. Halos are put up by the city to mark locations where victims of traffic violence were slain.

“Prynsess came to L.A. to feed people experiencing homelessness and was run down by a hit-and-run criminal,” said Westside safety advocate Jonathan Weiss at the unveiling yesterday. Weiss went on to criticize LAPD for their lack of a thorough investigation, echoing claims from Brazzle’s family. (Weiss is a past president and current member of the California Streets Initiative Board of Directors. CSI is the non-profit publisher of Streetsblog Los Angeles.)

Also present at yesterday’s unveiling were Yolanda Davis-Overstreet, who spearheaded the effort to get this halo installed, and another Westside bike advocate, Rob Kadota. Davis-Overstreet thanked the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) for installing the halo and Los Angeles Walks for their advocacy.

The art installation is the product of two city departments and their artist in residence working in collaboration with nonprofit organizations. LADOT and Cultural Affairs (DCA) host a creative catalyst program that hires artists to produce art related to Vision Zero, the international effort to end traffic violence. The halos were created by artist John Morse. The city and the artist collaborated with nonprofits Southern California Families for Safe Streets and Los Angeles Walks. The first halo was installed in 2019.

For more images from yesterday, visit Davis-Overstreet’s Instagram: Biking While Black (BWB)