Bridget 'Biddy' Mason

Formerly enslaved woman who became a wealthy entrepreneur and philanthropist in 19th-century Los Angeles

Born into slavery in 1818, Bridget 'Biddy' Mason defied all odds to become one of early Los Angeles' most influential citizens. After winning her freedom in a landmark 1856 California court case, she worked as a nurse/midwife while astutely investing in real estate. Her $300,000 fortune (equivalent to $9 million today) funded:

• LA's First African Methodist Episcopal Church
• Food/shelter programs during economic crises
• Education initiatives for Black children

Mason's most revolutionary act came in 1872 when she financed the city's first integrated school despite segregation laws. She strategically purchased property along what's now Broadway Street, shaping downtown LA's development. This illiterate former slave's business acumen and community-building efforts created lasting infrastructure for California's African American population.

Her legacy continues through the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation and the 1992 'Biddy Mason Wall' memorial. Mason demonstrated how marginalized individuals could transform systemic oppression into community empowerment through economic strategy and radical generosity.