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The Boundless Biddy Mason: In Conversation with Kevin Waite & Marne Campbell

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A document with black print granting a certificate of proof of will for Biddy Mason. The title reads "In the Superior Court in and for the County of Los Angeles, State of California"

Thu., Sept. 24, 2026, 12–1 p.m.

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This conversation will explore the legacy of a woman whose life illuminates both the possibilities and limits of freedom in the American West.
Talks and Lectures

Join Kevin Waite and Marne Campbell, in conversation with Bill Deverell, for a compelling dialogue about Waite’s new book The Boundless Biddy Mason: An Odyssey from Slavery to Freedom Across the American West. In this groundbreaking biography, Waite traces the remarkable life of Biddy Mason, who endured a 3,000-mile forced journey from slavery in Georgia to California, secured her freedom through a landmark court case, and went on to become a healer, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and one of the most influential founders of Black Los Angeles.

Top image: California. Superior Court (Los Angeles County), Los Angeles Probate: Second Series, Case Number: 14493. 1891. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

About the Organization

The Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West

ICW is a center for scholarly investigation of the history and culture of California and the American West. Through sponsorship of innovative scholarship, research, and programming, ICW draws on the resources of USC and the Huntington Library to build a unique collaboration among a research university, a research library, and the public