JOIN US ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2026, AT 7:15 P.M. (Pacific Time)
FOR A PRESENTATION ON
"THE BOUNDLESS BIDDY MASON: AN EPIC JOURNEY
FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM ACROSS
THE AMERICAN WEST"
WITH Dr. Kevin Waite, Author / Associate Prof. of History, University of Texas, Dallas
Born in bondage, Biddy Mason endured one of the longest forced migrations in American history -- three thousand miles on foot from Georgia to California. She and her daughters labored in slavery in the "free" state of California for five years before launching a landmark emancipation suit in 1856. Free at last, she defied barriers of race and gender, rising to prominence as a healer, philanthropist, church builder, and real estate entrepreneur whose commercial properties stood at what became known as the "Wall Street of the West." By the time of her death in 1891, she had laid the foundations of Black Los Angeles and ranked among the richest women of color in the United States.
In this first book-length biography of Mason, prizewinning historian Kevin Waite uncovers an extraordinary story of survival that carries readers from the cotton South to metropolitan California, and through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the dawn of Jim Crow. By retracing Mason's odyssey, he illuminates both the continental sweep of American slavery and the fragile, hard-won possibilities of freedom in the West.
Kevin Waite is Anne Stark Watson and Chester Watson Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Texas at Dallas. His first book, West of Slavery, won the 2022 Wiley-Silver Prize and was shortlisted for three other awards, including the Lincoln Prize. His writing appears in The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and The New Republic. Kevin moonlights in the TV and film industry, most recently as the writer and producer of a six-episode docuseries on the American Revolution for National Geographic and Disney+.
Kevin previously spoke to our members in August 2021, via Zoom during the Pandemic, on his first book West of Slavery. We are happy to welcome him back for this in-person visit.
For our readers who may not be able to attend this talk, Kevin has set up a special pre-order page for signed and personalized copies through Vroman's Bookstore:
Kevin is also running a little fundraiser through this link. In honor of Biddy Mason's extraordinary legacy of giving, Kevin will donate $10 for every Vroman's pre-order to the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation to support foster youth in Los Angeles County.
Your order must be placed by October 24 and will be shipped to you the week of October 26. They will NOT be available for pick-up at our meeting.
However, we will have a limited number of copies of his book for sale at our meeting, and Kevin will be happy to sign them for you.
Thanks to the volunteer efforts and expertise of our Pasadena CWRT members, Tina Miller and Monika Skerbelis, we are now able to record our monthly meetings and post the videos to our YouTube Channel for your enjoyment and edification if you are unable to join us for our live meetings. We invite you to check out the videos from our two years of virtual meetings, as well as our most recent presentations, at our YouTube Channel:
We are indebted to Tina and Monika for helping us to bring this wonderful added benefit to allow our non-local members and guests to enjoy the presentations of our distinguished roster of speakers.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR IN-PERSON MEETING:
Pasadena CWRT - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2026 - 7:15 PM (Pacific Time)
The Blinn House - 160 North Oakland Avenue - Pasadena
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Contact Janet Whaley, Program Chair
PasadenaCWRT@gmail.com or 626-664-6627