Bridget “Biddy” Mason was born into slavery in 1818 in Mississippi but was able to secure her freedom in a California court after her owner tried to move her back East to Texas. Mason used her earnings from midwifery to buy property, establish the first AME church in Los Angeles, and build community as the wealthiest Black woman in LA.

To learn more about Mason and her legacy, check out biddymasoncollaborative.com, laconservancy.org to learn more about Biddy Mason Memorial Park in Los Angeles, read Biddy Mason: A Place of Her Own by Camille Gavin and Biddy Mason Speaks Up by Arisa White and Laura Atkins

Sources:

• https://www.nbclosangeles.com/local-2/descendants-of-biddy-mason-the-grandmother-of-la-want-her-honored/2832587/

• https://www.nps.gov/people/biddymason.htm

• https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/09/418616/open-hand-conversation-descendants-biddy-mason

• https://la.curbed.com/2017/3/1/14756308/biddy-mason-california-black-history

• https://www.aclunc.org/sites/goldchains/explore/biddy-mason.html

• https://laist.com/news/la-history/biddy-mason-free-forever-the-contentious-hearing-that-made-her-a-legend-los-angeles-black-history

• https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-27-me-25048-story.html?fbclid=IwAR1H9m1KyFEyIncVYBAAUMX3Gv2zQLEWhLaVE5spnl0eg7JvGgclV6LM2-I