The Strivers Who Left Their Marks on History

Thomas Curwen’s profiles on Southern California strivers was so interesting (“Underdog,” Nov. 12). They seemed to be very timely in this chaotic and tumultuous time.

I glanced through the magazine during my morning read, but later read every word of it--from Helen Hunt Jackson to Alice Sebold. Thanks for the reminder that many Californians can beat the odds and make it big.

Wanda Shaffer

Fullerton

To call Biddy Mason a midwife who left a decent bank account is like calling Martin Luther King Jr. a preacher who left a house with a two-car garage. Among your “strivers” who mostly sought fame, fortune or both, Mason stands alone as an ex-slave who devoted her life to her people.

In 1872, she was a founding member of the iconic First AME Church. Caring not one whit about money or accolades, she was a tireless advocate for the rights of African Americans. By the time of her death in 1891, she was one of the most respected people of color in L.A. In the company of movie stars and oil barons, Biddy Mason was a giant.

Tom Sloss

Fountain Valley

You missed the most famous and, arguably, the most important Southern California striver of them all. Like him or hate him: Richard Nixon. How could you leave out someone who came from such a humble background in Whittier and became president of the United States?

Ian Campbell

Via the Internet