Biddy Mason exhibit Coming soon...

Bridget “Biddy” Mason (1818–1891) was a pioneering nurse, midwife, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and community leader whose extraordinary life journey took her from enslavement in the American South to freedom and prosperity in Los Angeles.

Born into slavery in Georgia, Mason was forced to travel more than 1,700 miles with the family that enslaved her, walking first to Utah and later to California. Although California had entered the Union as a free state, Mason and her children remained illegally enslaved until 1856, when she courageously petitioned the court for their freedom. She won the landmark case, securing freedom for herself and her three daughters.

After settling in Los Angeles, Mason worked as a nurse and midwife, delivering hundreds of babies and carefully saving her earnings. She purchased property and became one of the city’s most successful African American women. Mason used her prosperity to serve others, providing food, shelter, medical care, and financial assistance to people in need. In 1872, she helped establish the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, the city’s first Black church.

This Slavery Trailsaugmented-reality memorial honors Biddy Mason’s resilience, courage, generosity, and transformative impact on Los Angeles. Her story demonstrates how the pursuit