Los Angeles renames Pershing Square to Biddy Mason Park

The Los Angeles City Council has voted 11-0 to rename the historic Pershing Square to Biddy Mason Park. The decision honors Bridget ‘Biddy’ Mason, a formerly enslaved woman who became a prominent Los Angeles landowner, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

Mason was born in Mississippi and brought to California as an enslaved person. She successfully petitioned a Los Angeles court for her freedom in 1856. Following her emancipation, she worked as a midwife and nurse, eventually accumulating significant wealth through real estate investments and becoming one of the first Black women to own property in the city.

The renaming effort was spearheaded by Jackie Broxton, president of the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation, and championed by Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado. Jurado noted that Mason’s legacy of civic leadership and community support, including her work with the First AME Church, serves as a powerful example of resilience and hope for Angelenos.