A summarized biography of one of Los Angeles' wealthiest black entrepreneurs, Biddy Mason.
Bridget “Biddy” Mason was born into slavery on August 15, 1818 in Georgia. After working on a plantation in Mississippi owned by a man called Robert Smith, Biddy went ahead and migrated to Utah with him and his family. During the grueling two-thousand-mile journey, Biddy herded cattle, prepared meals, and worked as a nurse and midwife.
In 1851, Robert Smith moved his family and slaves to California. At this time, California was a free state and forbade slavery. When she got to California, Biddy petitioned the court and sued Smith for her freedom. She won her case, securing not only her freedom, but also that of her daughters, as well as 10 other Black women.
After winning her freedom, Biddy moved to Los Angeles and worked as a nurse and midwife. She saved up her earnings and in 1866, just 10 years after securing her freedom, Biddy had saved up enough money to buy a Land in Los Angeles for $250, making her one of the first Black women to own land in Los Angeles.
Biddy later sold a parcel of the land for $1500 and built a commercial building that she rented out to several others. Through several business ventures and real estate transactions, she was able to amass a fortune of nearly $300,000, making her one of the city’s wealthiest Black residents.
Biddy Mason died on January 15, 1891, aged 72, and is remembered till this day, as one of the pioneer black slave women, who though was an illiterate but through determination and self education accrued wealth to support her family and others in need.
She is known as a Mid-wife, California real estate entrepreneur, nurse, philanthropist and the founder of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles.
No comments:
Post a Comment