Yoga classes

Bridget “Biddy” Mason (1818-1891) is an American Hero. Born enslaved, Mason and her 3 daughters were forced to walk cross-country before becoming one of the first prominent citizens and landowners in Los Angeles in the 1860s. She also founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles in 1872.

In the spring of 1965, Viola Liuzzo, a 39-year-old white mother of five from Detroit, could not stay silent or inactive while African Americans in the South were being denied their most basic civil rights. Driven by a profound belief in equality and human rights, Viola traveled to Selma, Alabama, to help in the aftermath of the harrowing Selma to Montgomery marches. These marches were pivotal in the civil rights movement, aimed at securing equal voting rights and highlighting racial injustice in America.

The atmosphere was charged with tension and hostility. Viola, undeterred, worked tirelessly, providing transportation for the marchers. On the night of March 25, 1965, while ferrying fellow activists back from a successful march, tragedy struck. Viola's car was intercepted by members of the Ku Klux Klan on Highway 80. In a senseless act of violence fueled by racial hatred, Viola was shot and killed by the Klansmen, marking her as the only white woman martyred during the civil rights movement.

Viola Liuzzo's sacrifice brought national attention to the civil rights struggle and helped galvanize public opinion in favor of the movement. Her death was a poignant reminder of the high cost of freedom and the brutal resistance to change. President Lyndon B. Johnson spoke of Viola in a national address, declaring her a hero of the cause, and her story became a beacon of hope and a poignant reminder of the universal fight for justice.

We remember Viola Liuzzo not just for how she died, but for the undying spirit and deep compassion that guided her actions. She crossed racial and geographical boundaries to stand by those who were fighting for their basic rights. Her legacy teaches us that courage can be found in the most ordinary of us and that change often comes at a great cost.



~Forgotten Stories