The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 3 - Overview of Rites 91
Prince Hall Masons of New York. The black brethren were outraged and
humiliated, but their English brethren certainly feared to bring about an
alienation with the white American lodges at a time of great need. 252 Here, we
see how great the impact of political inter-relationship can be on lodge decisions.
Since the black Americans constitute a microcosm in a white society,
Masonry in their realm means something special to them and has a more severe
impact on this group than on the common white man. We can compare this to the
situation of Freemasonry in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, when it was considered a
means of practicing free speech and thought in an environment that had not yet
developed so far as to grant every citizen these fundamental rights. Those were
times when Freemasonry had a real sociological "sense," which diminishes in
our modern times where it becomes more or less a philosophical spare time club.
However, black Freemasonry, especially in the times of apartheid has retained
this purpose to guarantee its members a certain freedom, respect, also financial
means, and most importantly, self-pride during a political and sociological
suppression of the race.
Thus, we can see black Freemasonry as a microcosm within the Masonic
macrocosm, which makes our research more interesting since most features of
common Masonry are intensified in "Negro Freemasonry." This remarkably
long-lived and healthy institution has done a great deal for the colored people in
a material as well as in a nonmaterial sense. Historically, Prince Hall Masons
have preserved run-away slaves from becoming victims of the Fugitive Slave
Act. Black Masonry has reacted to race riots, lynchings, and unjust court
proceedings. It further has helped cities during epidemics, supported the building
of black communities, and procured education for black children. We may not be
far off in saying that until today, black Freemasonry has functioned as a kind of
self-help group for the race:
Masons, like most of the black middle class, have believed that a
fundamental difference between blacks and other American ethnic
groups has been the black man's lack of a tradition of cooperative selfhelp.
They have felt foreign groups such as the Jews and Italians have
gained internal cohesion, external "white" respect, and group upward
mobility because of the mutual support they have provided their own
people. For many Masons their fraternity has presented the possibility
that this supposed black failing could be rectified, throughout the entire
community. This hope has been one of the major attractions of the
Order for its adherents. 253
We will encounter more emotions in black than in Caucasian Freemasonry,
since the Prince Hall fraternity has created an outlet for the socio-psychological
needs of its adherents and provided a stage for living out their newly defined
social role. Black Masonry, similar to the church, is an institution that has
252 For a full account, see Muraskin, p. 205.
253 Muraskin, p. 133.