From Enslaved to Entrepreneur: The Biddy Mason Story

[Music] in the early spring of 1848 the wagon train of Mormon settlers set out from

Mississippi they were headed west for Great Salt Lake Valley in Utah of the 90 men women and children 34 were enslaved

black people one of them was Brigid Mason known as Biddy she was forced to trek nearly 1,500 miles with her in

slavers Robert and Rebecca Dorn Smith she walked through rain mud floods and ice all the while tending to oxen

serving the Smiths and caring for her three young children we know very little about biddies early life except that she

was born into slavery in 1818 and taken away from her mother as a baby it's believed that Biddy was raised by older

enslaved women women who were like grandmother figures to her with them she learned the healing properties of plants

and the gift of delivering babies as a young adult Biddy and her daughters were sent to toil for the Smiths on their tenant farm in Mississippi

that's how Biddy Mason ended up a forced laborer on a Mormon Caravan three years after arriving in Utah California back

in the Smiths and Biddy was forced to move again this time Biddy Mason was forced to hike more than 400 miles

through punishing desert to what is now San Bernadino slavery was illegal in California but that did not stop the Smiths from holding Biddy and her

daughter's captive for four years at a local market where Biddy purchased goods for the Smith family it's believed that she became friends with free black

people who lived in the area they encouraged Biddy to take her freedom one day she learned much to her alarm

that the Smiths were relocating to Texas and taking her and her children with them it's believed that upon her departure some four free black friends

alerted the sheriff's office the sheriff's produced a court order to the Smiths and took Biddy Mason and her children into protective custody The Smiths denied Biddy Mason and her

family were enslaved insisting they were traveling to Texas of their own free will their freedom was now to be decided by the courts

mitties case was brought before Judge Benjamin Hayes at that time it was against the law for a person of color to testify against a white person in court

Biddy Mason would not be allowed to tell her story however when bitties lawyer did not show up to court judge Hayes did something very unusual

he called Mason into his chambers if you return to Texas he told her you will have to leave your children behind they cannot be unjustly imprisoned in a slave

state Billy's response was emphatic I do not wish to be separated from my children and do not in such case wish to go

judge Hayes ordered Biddy and her children set free a free woman Biddy moved to Los Angeles where she used her skills as a healer to find work she

became a doctor's assistant and started a business as a midwife saving her earnings and buying property Biddy Mason became one of the richest people in Los

Angeles she was celebrated for her generous philanthropy Biddy Mason founded the african-american Methodist Episcopal Church one of the largest

black congregations in Los Angeles to this day a monument in Los Angeles honors her remarkable achievements is speaking up for her own freedom Biddy

Mason spoke up for the humanity of all black people