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Are black people allowed?

chrmc

Registered User
Do y'all think that its wrong for me to want to join the mainstream lodge (sulphur springs lodge #221) over the prince hall lodge (Columbia lodge #81) simply because the mainstream lodge is more active in charity and the community and if any of you guys have been to on of these lodges please share your experience

Absolutely not. Find a lodge that fits you and what you are looking for, and so be it. Whether it is PHA or mainstream should not matter.
 

CajunTinMan

Registered User
You came to the right place and are asking the right questions. I have noticed that the Brothers here will answer honestly which is not always easy. Don't be afraid to ask questions here. These are good people.
 

widows son

Premium Member
Bro. Cajun is right. And unfortunately there are people in freemasonry, who still maintain the old way of thought. But as far as this forum goes, you'll get honest answers from honest men as bro Cajun said. We sometimes vent our frustrations out on here about our lodges or about other things because we want to see the best out of freemasonry. As masons it's our duty to see that our order is preserved and that we each get as much knowledge and experience as we can out of its deep roots and traditions.
 

Ashlar76

Premium Member
Let's be real how likely is it for a young black man to get into an all white lodge

I believe it is very likely. I would say, g[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]et to know the Brethren at both lodges and see where you feel you will fit, I believe you can't go wrong choosing either path. I can tell you from my own experience, I am a Hispanic man and a Prince Hall Master Mason and I was welcomed with open arms in my lodge, it's been a joyous ride. D[/FONT]on't judge a book by its cover, instead open it and see what's inside.
 

Traveling Man

Premium Member
You must remember that you're shopping for the lodge that makes you feel comfortable as well. If you don't feel at ease, try elsewhere... It's your journey, not anyone else's.
 

Frater Cliff Porter

Premium Member
Everywhere in the Masonic world outside of the Southern part of the United States and a couple of states in the mid-west, race is not an issue. This is a remnant of America's past and will someday dissipate. Until then don't shop a lodge for race, shop a lodge for good men whom you want to emulate and where you will fill comfortable with.
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
As has been stated by others this is a journey about you and your journey not anyone else. It is your decision to make where you will feel most comfortable. The more comfortable you are with the Lodge and the Brothers that make up the membership the more likely you will be to active and involved. I am sure no matter the path you choose it will not be a bad choice. As you get to know people in the lodge and they get to know you I am sure you will have no problems and the last thing on anyone's mind (at least it should be) will be skin color. Who knows you may be the catalyst that brings more good men into the Fraternity just because of this step. Good luck and never hesitate to ask any question on here. We are all here to help.
 

KO2134

Registered User
Thank y'all for all y'alls answers i was wondering what questions should i ask when i go to the lodge to decide
 

Virgin Islands Brother

Registered User
My curious, hopefully soon to be brother. I had the same concern once upon a time. There is a book called "Recognizing Prince Hall". It was written from the point of view of a Caucasian Brother. It is awesome! He is honest forthright and a downright beautiful Brother. His fight to get his mainstream lodge to tear down the invisible barriers give real hope that we may all sit in the same lodge one day. My lodge is mainstream- but I'm in the Virgin Islands. Although not PHA, we are predominantly black. However, I sit in a lodge of Black men, White men, people of Arab, East Indian and Asian descent. It's beautiful and really educational from a cultural aspect.

I once met an elderly brother who gave me a profound statement. If my church were like my lodge, I probably would have never become a mason. Do your best to keep this lodge diverse because this world consists of a diverse amount of people that we must interact with. To so effectively, we must tolerate all.

Good Luck!
 

Dow Mathis

Premium Member
Thank y'all for all y'alls answers i was wondering what questions should i ask when i go to the lodge to decide

I congratulate you in your interest in the Craft, and in coming here to have some of your questions answered. In response, I'm going to throw out some thoughts that won't be in any order and may or may not help you. All of us come from different places, both in our lives and in our communities. As such, all of our roads are a little different. Yours will be different as well. Okay, here goes.


  • On the race question... My thoughts here are that we tend to find in life what we look for. If I expect to be treated well, then I usually seem to be treated well. If I expect trouble, then I usually find it. By that token, if you go into a lodge expecting for there to be a big deal made about your skin color, then folks may pick up on that, either consciously or unconsciously, and you may see a big deal made of it. However, if you go in expecting to be treated as a man, not a black man, or a white man, or an orange-with-pink-polka-dots man, then I would expect that you will be treated as a man, plain and simple. There is a recording by Brother Earl Nightingale called "The Strangest Secret." One of the primary points he makes is that "we become what we think about." Keep that in mind, and you shouldn't have any problems regardless of which lodge you choose.
  • Don't get in a big hurry to ask questions of the lodges you visit. Take the time to get to know the brothers there, and to let them get to know you. If it's a fit, then you'll sense that. If it's not, then you'll sense that too.
  • Be prepared to visit the lodge several times. Many lodges have a meal before their stated meetings, and those meals are open to non masons as well as masons. Here is where you'll start to get to know the men in the lodge.
  • Don't expect them to roll out the red carpet and invite you in with open arms. You must take the initiative. We don't invite. We don't recruit. You must seek us.
  • Think long and hard about this question: "Why do you want to become a Mason?" If you do decide to petition a lodge, then you'll be asked that question. It's much easier to answer a question like this if you've thought it through first. For some, it was because Daddy was a Mason, for others, it was because someone else that they respected was one. For still others, the answer is different.
  • Be open and honest. These men are evaluating you as you are evaluating them. If you are sincere, honest, respectful, and forthright, then they'll recognize and respect that. If you are overbearing, arrogant, loud-mouthed, opinionated, etc., then they'll definitely not respect that.
  • The last thing that I can think of right now is this: Be yourself. Be the best you that you can be. Remember, Masonry seeks to make good men better.

Good luck to you, Sir. I'm sure you'll be fine, whichever road you take.
 

robhanna

Registered User
Masonry regards no man for their worldly wealth or honors, and it is the internal and not the external that recommends a man be made a Mason.

Race has nothing to do with being a Mason.
 

Benjamin Baxter

Moderator
Premium Member
I dont feel either lodge I attend would have any issue. It is the internal, not the external.
 
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Scorpionlawz

Registered User
Interestingly enough I am the only one of my color in my Lodge and there has always without fail been the utmost disregard for my skin color, and the utmost regard for me as a man.
Should be that way everywhere, anything else is against the principles we hold so dear.


Bro. Junior A. Knight
Chicopee Lodge
GL Massachusetts
 

ni3f

Registered User
Masons have always been a step or two ahead of the general society -- which is not to say that there haven't been prejudices and discrimination. Freemasonry has been ahead of the curve but hasn't utterly transcended the values of the culture in which it exists. Of course there has been bigotry and on occasion there are reports of this sort of thing happening from time to time. But rest assured that the vast majority of brothers regard discrimination as reprehensible and unmasonic, not to mention stupid.

Are you a good man? That is all that matters.




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Bro. Vincent

Registered User
I am an EA about to get my FC degree this Thursday. I am prince hall for life, but I do find this question interesting from the OP. I have an interesting view of my history, the history of freemasonry and the history of man.

But I haven't travelled far enough yet to express it. After Becoming a MM maybe i will be at a point to discuss ...I'm interested in asking my WM the same question. But I want to get to a point where I can challenge my mainstream brothers on history as well as the craft and the dialogue be honest and rooted on love and respect of one another... Good question brother.


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ni3f

Registered User
The very fact that there is PH at all is because of racism. Black people weren't welcome in the mainstream. This is akin to the existence of African American churches; most mainstream churches today would be thrilled to have black members, but African Americans have developed their own religious culture, unique styles of worship: music, "call and response" preaching, social activism etc. The differences need to be respected and celebrated.

I belong to the Washington,DC Scottish Rite. A high percentage if our membership and leadership are black BUT they are overwhelmingly either African immigrants or Afro Caribbean and NOT African Americans, who tend to join the PH SR. So while we are demonstrably not racist--emphatically so--the division between the mainstream and the SR is most certainly the legacy of racism.

It can't be racism if the black members we have, in all likelihood, have the very same tribal origins in Africa as the African Americans who prefer PH. The issue isn't race or pedigree--it is social and historical.

We would be glad to have the PH masons join us or merge with us -- if they wanted. The question remains: would this contribute to the eventual loss of the PH's own unique traditions? Does PH want to risk assimilation? I haven't check the numbers, but there would also be some possibility that the so called "mainstream" might assimilate into the culture of PH, which would then become the "mainstream."


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Michael Neumann

Premium Member
The very fact that there is PH at all is because of racism. Black people weren't welcome in the mainstream. This is akin to the existence of African American churches; most mainstream churches today would be thrilled to have black members, but African Americans have developed their own religious culture, unique styles of worship: music, "call and response" preaching, social activism etc. The differences need to be respected and celebrated.

I belong to the Washington,DC Scottish Rite. A high percentage if our membership and leadership are black BUT they are overwhelmingly either African immigrants or Afro Caribbean and NOT African Americans, who tend to join the PH SR. So while we are demonstrably not racist--emphatically so--the division between the mainstream and the SR is most certainly the legacy of racism.

It can't be racism if the black members we have, in all likelihood, have the very same tribal origins in Africa as the African Americans who prefer PH. The issue isn't race or pedigree--it is social and historical.

We would be glad to have the PH masons join us or merge with us -- if they wanted. The question remains: would this contribute to the eventual loss of the PH's own unique traditions? Does PH want to risk assimilation? I haven't check the numbers, but there would also be some possibility that the so called "mainstream" might assimilate into the culture of PH, which would then become the "mainstream."


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Very good post here and something I have noticed myself in trying to break down the barriers between Mainstream and PHA.
 
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