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Biddy Mason Park / Pershing Square Renaming / 532 South Olive Street

Council File 24-0751

Under review — the motion to rename Pershing Square after Biddy Mason, a formerly enslaved woman who became a property owner and civic leader in early Los Angeles, is waiting for a committee hearing before the full Council can vote on it.

Introduced
2024-06-21
Last changed
2026-07-01
Status
open
Expires
2028-07-01
Committee
Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee
Mover
YSABEL JURADO
Second
HEATHER HUTT

Brief

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado moved to rename Pershing Square at 532 South Olive Street to Biddy Mason Park, commemorating Biddy Mason, a formerly enslaved woman who became a prominent businesswoman and philanthropist in Los Angeles. The motion was initially referred to the Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee in June 2024, then rereferred to the Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee in December 2024, where it remains pending.

Full summary

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, seconded by Heather Hutt, introduced this motion to instruct the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners to rename Pershing Square — the downtown civic plaza at 532 South Olive Street — as Biddy Mason Park. The motion makes the case through Mason's biography: born into slavery in Georgia in 1818, she won her freedom through the California courts in 1856 and spent the following decade working as a nurse and midwife, saving enough to purchase land on Spring Street in 1866. She went on to acquire additional property between Broadway and Spring Street, building a home and establishing businesses that, according to the motion, helped shape what became the commercial heart of Downtown Los Angeles. The motion also emphasizes Mason's civic contributions beyond real estate. She provided food and shelter to neighbors, continued practicing as a nurse and midwife, visited jail inmates to offer assistance, and co-founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. The motion argues that Pershing Square — located just blocks from where Mason lived, worked, and built her legacy — is an appropriate civic landmark to carry her name, and frames the renaming as part of a broader effort to ensure public spaces more fully reflect the contributions of Black Angelenos to the city's history. The file has traveled a winding procedural path. Originally introduced in June 2024 and referred to the Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee, the Council rereferred it to the Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee in December 2024 as part of a broader committee realignment. The file formally expired under Council policy on June 26, 2026, but was reintroduced by Jurado and Hutt on July 1, 2026, and immediately referred back to the Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee. The motion is now awaiting a committee hearing and recommendation to the full Council before any renaming can take effect.

Activity (4)

  • 2026-07-01 Motion referred to Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee.
  • 2026-06-26 File expired per Council policy, Council file No. 05-0553.
  • 2024-12-13 Council rereferred item to Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee, pursuant to Council Action of December 13, 2024, Council File No. 24-2000.
  • 2024-06-21 Motion referred to Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee.

Documents (6)

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