A Black History and Financial Literacy moment…

As a slave, Biddy Mason trekked 1,600 miles on foot across the U.S. while herding livestock and nursing a baby. Born in Georgia on August 15, 1818 Biddy (Bridget) was sold as an infant and given as a wedding gift to Robert Marion Smith and his wife Rebecca in Mississippi. But Biddy’s story is different. It’s the story of a strong and humble woman who endured terrific hardships before bravely fighting for her family’s freedom and winning. After trekking from Mississippi to the frontier boontown of Los Angeles, Biddy became one of the city’s most sought after midwives and parlays her earnings into a small real estate empire.

But before we arrive at that happy ending, there are decades of degradation to endure and thousands of miles of country to cross. Biddy learned the duties of a midwife – which included the use of medicinal herbs and basic nursing skills – from fellow slaves steeped in traditional knowledge. When her slave master tried to take her from the ‘free’ territory to Texas she fought back with the help of abolitionists to remain in LA. As a free woman, Biddy and her three daughters lived in LA where Biddy established herself as a midwife and was hired by a white physician Dr. John S. Griffin. Biddy also acted as a midwife to inmates in the county jail. As she grew older, Biddy became know as “Auntie Biddy” or “Grandma Mason” in Los Angeles. By the time of her death in 1891 at age 73, she had amassed a fortune of $300,000 (more that $8 million in 2019 dollars), which she gave to others who needed food.

Biddy said, “if you hold your hand closed, nothing good can come in,” The open hand is blessed, for it gives in abundance even as it receives.