Today in California we are fortunate to have such diversity and ethnic perspectives that make this state what it is today. However, diversity did not simply emerge from the ground and expand. It came from dedication and work, from the community and especially from the church. Churches like Saddleback, First AM E, and now more recently Dream Center and many others. Technology is helping to pave the way for many of these churches, new and old. New ideas from Southern California Protestant churches began to enliven churches with music, dance, pictures, and paintings. Years ago they had paints and colors, but not to the extent of this new era. Take Mission San Juan Capistrano for example, it is a very well known church but nowadays it cannot compete with churches like FAMEI. I was fortunate enough to visit both sites and distinctly remember the mural of many African Americans and some of them. their story, and in the middle there was a church and a little quote that said "God our father. Christ our redeemer. Man our brother. Woman our sister." This quote and the mural said a lot about the orientation of the church; and for me, it was community and faith. With these two things it is possible to do anything. All of FAM E's attributes came from Biddy Mason's dreams. Biddy was born a slave in Mississippi, where she remained until she was older and had children of her own. Biddy raised the Mormon children and when they were old enough, Mason walked with his daughters from Mississippi to California, herding sheep and cattle. Four years later, she moved into her own home in San Bernardino, where she and her daughters petitioned for release, California being a free state. Mason moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a nurse and midwife. Ten years after gaining her freedom, she had saved enough to purchase land on Spring Street for $250, becoming one of the first African American women to own land in Los Angeles. In 1884, she sold part of the property for $1,500 and built a commercial building on the remaining land. Over the years, his judicious commercial and real estate transactions allowed him to accumulate a fortune of nearly $300,000.