LA City Council votes to rename Pershing Square after former slave Biddy Mason
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved changing Pershing Square’s name to Biddy Mason Park, honoring the ex-slave who became a prominent landowner and church founder.
In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council directed that Pershing Square be renamed Biddy Mason Park, recognizing the former slave who rose to become a wealthy landowner and co-founder of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church. Advocates, including Rev. Timothy E. Tyler and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, said the change highlights the city’s commitment to honoring those who built Los Angeles despite adversity.
Critics, such as former WWI Centennial Task Force co-director Courtland Jindra and preservationist Kim Cooper, warned that removing the Pershing name erases a tribute to World War I servicemen. The plaza, originally dedicated in 1866 as La Plaza Abaja and renamed for General Pershing in 1918, sits between Olive and Hill streets near the Biltmore Hotel. Historians note Mason’s 1856 court victory for freedom set an early precedent against slavery in California. The council’s action follows a stalled 2024 effort by former Councilmember Kevin de León and comes amid broader debates over historic memorials in the city.
Why it matters
Renaming the park spotlights a historically overlooked Black pioneer and sparks debate over how cities commemorate their past.
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