Separate but Equal Brotherhood:
The Racial Dichotomy of Freemasonry
Freemasonry arrived in America by way of British Colonialism, in the
18th century, during a time when slavery was legal and racial attitudes
were clearly not what they are today. One of the requirements to join a
Masonic Lodge is to be "free-born." Although some slaves at
the time earned their freedom, they were not welcomed to be a part of
the fraternity. While brotherly love, relief and truth are supposed to
be the three great tenets on which the Order was founded, they were as
hypocritical to the Masonic Order of that day, as were the drafters of
our Declaration of Independence — some of whom were Masons themselves.
Even though this declaration was based upon certain
"truths" that all men are created equal and are entitled
certain rights ("unalienable rights") that the government
should never take away, history tells us that this obviously didn't
apply to slaves. These rights included "life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness," but as we know, not for the black man.
Herein lays the irony on which our country was founded, and the
hypocrisy of the Masonic worldview of the "Brotherhood
of Man."
Interestingly though, while there were no men of color among the
Freemasons prior to 1775, on March 6 of that year, fifteen men of color
were initiated into Freemasonry by Sergeant John Batt of the Irish
Military Lodge No. 441, attached to the 38th Foot of the British
Army-one year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Among them was a man who would become their first Master (Masonicly
speaking, of course) and is now immortalized by African-American Masons.
His name was Prince Hall, and this group of African-American Masons,
located in Boston, began meeting as a Lodge; and were formally chartered
by England in 1784 as African Lodge No. 459.
Since then, due to slavery and racial segregation, the descendants of
African Lodge were left with no other choice but to develop a separate
Grand Lodge system, known today as Prince Hall Masonry. Unfortunately,
racial feelings of the era caused Freemasonry for African-American men
to develop independently. While there are those among the ranks of
Non-Prince Hall Masons who would deny the legitimacy of Prince Hall
Masonry, Prince Hall Grand Lodges have the exact same beliefs, follow
the same rituals, and teach the same biblical heresy as taught by all
regular Freemasonry throughout the world.
The United Grand Lodge of England (U.G.L.E.), generally recognized as
the Mother of all Masonry, saw fit to grant
recognition to Prince Hall Masonry in this country. Yet, there are
lodges in this country that refuse, to this day, to accept the U.G.L.E.
acknowledgment that Prince Hall Masons are legitimate, and still
continued to bar black men from entering their lodge rooms.
In discussing the reasons for the racial dichotomy of Freemasonry in
greater detail, we would like to approach it from the standpoint of five
essential doctrines of the Masonic faith, Landmarks
4, 14, 16, 18
and 22:
LANDMARK FOURTH
"THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FRATERNITY BY A PRESIDING OFFICER called
a Grand Master, who is elected from the body of the Craft, is a Fourth
Landmark of the Order."
Since there are two Grand Lodge systems, this presents the question
as to whom really has the power or authority over any given state or
jurisdiction. In fact, if both sides decided that they should unite and
become more like modern-day society and move toward integration, rather
than segregation, which Grand Masters are going to be willing to
relinquish their gavel of authority?
Given the fact that there are a total of more than 100 Grand Masters,
within both sides combined, you can see how this could be an enormous
political dilemma for the fraternity. Therefore, it is highly more
likely that they will remain permanently separate.
Adding to this dilemma is the fact that Masons on both sides will
argue that there is a lot of rich "tradition" that could
possibly be destroyed should they merge. As you will soon see, the only
real tradition being preserved by Freemasonry is that of "separate
drinking fountains."
LANDMARK FOURTEENTH
"THE RIGHT OF EVERY MASON TO VISIT and sit in every "regular"
Lodge is an unquestionable Landmark of the Order. This is called
"the right of visitation."
This brings to mind a time when I was still active as a Prince Hall
Mason. After learning about this critically important Landmark, I wanted
to see for myself how it worked within my own jurisdiction of the state
of North Carolina. There was no problem with my visiting other Prince
Hall Lodges within my state, or in the world for that matter, but after
being warned not to play with fire, I wanted to see if the principle of
brotherly love would be honored by a Non-Prince Hall lodge in my
jurisdiction.
So, one night I set out to visit such a lodge, and to my great
disappointment, I was denied visitation. Testing the fraternity's
concept of the "Fatherhood of God and
Brotherhood of Man" left me with far more than a burning
blister on my mind, at the time it felt more like a dagger in my heart.
LANDMARK SIXTEENTH
"No Lodge can interfere in the business of another Lodge, nor
give degrees to brethren who are members of other Lodges."
This Landmark has many of the same implications discussed regarding
Landmark number four. Prince Hall Lodges are not going to interfere with
the business of Non-Prince Hall lodges and vice versa. As for conferring
degrees to members of other lodges, this can take place provided the
member demits, or resigns, from his current lodge.
LANDMARK EIGHTEENTH
"Certain qualifications of candidates for initiation are derived
from a Landmark of the Order. These qualifications are that he shall be
a man (discrimination against women), shall be unmutilated
(discrimination against the handicap), free born
(used to discriminate against slaves in the past, and in some lodges
today against — African Americans — since
they are the descendants of slaves), and of mature or lawful age."
(Emphasis added)
Again, this speaks more to the hypocrisy of the Masonic Order. On the
one hand they claim to be founded on the principle of brotherly love,
yet on the other hand they discriminate when it comes to actual
membership. To accommodate women, Freemasonry has for them the Order of
Eastern Star, and other female appending bodies. As for the handicap,
there is no accommodation, unless of course the physical handicap
resulted after becoming a Mason.
And of course, as we have mentioned, to accommodate blacks there's
the "separate drinking fountain"
of Prince Hall Masonry. Also, it makes you wonder, if in some lodges,
being a descendant of slaves disqualifies one from Freemasonry, how is
it that there are so many Masons who are Jewish?
LANDMARK TWENTY-SECOND
"THE EQUALITY OF ALL MASONS is another Landmark of the
Order."
Here you have Grand Lodges like the state of Nevada making such
claims as they do in a booklet they issue titled, Freemasonry
- A Way Of Life:
"The Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man are two of
the fundamental truths upon which our civilization is built.
Freemasonry encompasses both but emphasizes
the brotherhood of man through the practice
of brotherly love, relief, and truth. Brotherly love, in the Masonic
sense, is more than the congenial bond of good will and understanding
that exists between close friends. It is, rather, genuine tolerance
and charity toward all men which affords a basis for mutual respect
between men in spite of the diverse backgrounds, creeds, ideals, and
code of conduct."
One would think that this is consistent with the following statement
made by Joel Springer, President of the Masonic Philalethes Society:
"We have all been taught that Freemasonry regards no man
because of his worldly honors... Nor does Freemasonry regard men
because of their race, color, religion, ethnic origins, or their sexual
orientation — it is only essential that a man be good and
true. To be a good Mason, it simply does not matter if a man is Black
or White, Hispanic or Asian, Christian, Jewish, Moslem, or Hindu, Gay
or Straight." (The Philalethes,
June 2002)
However, both statements are arguably more consistent with the
Masonic worldview of Morality:
"Masonry teaches the practice of all good morals, leaving the
interpretation of right and wrong to the individual conscience."
(Lodge System of Masonic Education, Book
1, page 7)
Yet, this also brings to mind, while practicing Freemasonry, when I
had sat in lodge meetings with several 'white' Masons who shared that,
because of the racism within their respective jurisdictions; they
decided to demit from their lodge to become members of Prince Hall
Masonry. They argued that only Prince Hall Masonry fully honored this
principle of brotherly love. Whenever a Mason demits from a regular
Non-Prince Hall lodge to become a member of Prince Hall Masonry, he is
usually given a small ceremony where he reaffirms the oath of a Master
Mason; this ceremony is called a Masonic Healing.
However, Prince Hall or Non-Prince Hall, there are some Masons who
would argue, "There are black men in some
lodges, therefore there is no racism in Masonry." Such logic
lends itself more to tokenism rather than fact. Conversely, no one can
say "There are no black men in some lodges,
therefore all Masonry is segregated."
If active Masons would be honest, they would affirm that both of
these statements are untrue. Yet, even if they are not honest, we know
they are not true based on the personal testimony of men who have left
Freemasonry. Earlier, an example of Masonic racism was given based on my
personal experience. Here is another former Mason speaking about his
experience as a 'white' Mason practicing in the state of Oklahoma:
The Truth About Freemasonry, by Chuck Easttom 32°
"Racism is rampant here. Over half the members I have met openly
announce that they will resign the day that a 'nigger' sets in an
Oklahoma Lodge. Racist jokes are common place just before or after a
Masonic function. One of our past grand masters even made racists jokes
at a District meeting."
"We are not even a little bit selective about the white people
we let into lodge. In Oklahoma if you are white and are not on America's
Most Wanted, then some lodge will let you in. I personally know of a
lodge Jr. Warden who was renown in his town as an alcoholic and wife
beater. He was widely known as such when initiated, passed, raised, and
when elected to office. And this is not at all an exception in Oklahoma.
In fact the bulk of attending Masons (those that show up) are usually
from the lower end of society."
"They are the poorly educated, bigoted, and often ignorant. I
know of Past Masters that won't keep a job, Past Masters that are
renowned for their belligerent attitude, etc. They seem perplexed that
the few members in the lodge that have some community standing (be they
a teacher, doctor, etc.) don't show up for meetings. Well it's because
they are embarrassed to be seen with their lodge brothers. I am also not
talking about 1 or 2 incidents. In my entire district there are maybe 6
to 8 Masons that I would not be ashamed to have showed up at my job. I
had one Past Master show up at my office on one occasion having worn the
same clothes for several days. When I joined not one person that signed
my petition even knew me at all. I asked friends and coworkers, none had
ever had any inquiries about my character. Frankly, none in the lodge
cared as long as I was willing to pay the dues. But maybe it's different
elsewhere."
"We lead a man to believe that he will learn great philosophical
truths. This is what originally attracted me to Masonry as I have always
been a student of philosophy. Yet the 'teachings' of Masonry are the
most mundane and common place lessons that virtually all men have
already heard elsewhere. When we charge a man for degrees in which he
learns 'lessons' that he already knows, we are in effect defrauding
him."
"Few Oklahoman Masons take it seriously. Even those who memorize
the degree work frequently don't even know the meanings of the words
they memorize much less the meanings (you would be amazed how many think
the word 'allusion' is 'illusion.' "
"Frankly, Masonry is not evil; it's not a conspiracy, etc. It is
simply (at least in Oklahoma) a club for old men and rednecks to go to
and give each other important sounding titles."
What about Freemasonry's connection with the KKK
"A former Confederate general and Freemason, Nathan Bedford
Forrest, founded the Ku Klux Klan and served as its first Imperial
Wizard. Albert Pike 33°, held the office of Chief Justice of the Ku
Klux Klan while he was simultaneously Sovereign Grand Commander of the
Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction. Pike's racism was well known. He
expressed his concept of Masonic brotherhood succinctly: 'I
took my obligation to White men, not to Negroes. When I have to accept
Negroes as brothers or leave Masonry, I shall leave it.' Some
believe Pike concocted the ritual for the original KKK."
Source: Christianity
and American Freemasonry, by William J Whalen: (pages 17-18)
The rolls of Prince Hall Masonry include a number of distinguished
African-Americans such as former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood
Marshall, Julian Bond President of the NAACP, Former Mayor of Atlanta
and former US Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, the
Reverend Jesse Jackson and civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers, just
to name a few. Each of these men contributed significantly to the
success of the civil rights movement in America of the 1960's. As a
result, they helped to make this country what it is today in terms of
the progress of racial harmony. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. they helped, "to build a greater
nation." Can the same be said of their 'white' Masonic
counterparts? And, to this day, none of these black Masons would be
allowed to visit some Masonic lodges in this country.
Whether the Southern Confederacy influenced Freemasonry, or
Freemasonry influenced Southern Confederacy is difficult to conclude.
One thing is certain, during the civil-rights conflict of the 1960s,
knowledgeable Prince Hall Masons knew that many of the leaders of the
segregationist movement, such as Governors Ross Barnett of Mississippi,
Orval Faubus of Arkansas, and George Wallace of Alabama were all active
Masons. It is difficult to look back at news clips of the civil rights
era, but as former Prince Hall Mason, it is particularly painful to see
images of Thurgood Marshall facing off with former Governor of Alabama
George Wallace, knowing they were both Masons. Likewise, to know that it
was a 'white' Mason who assassinated a black Mason, civil rights leader
Medgar Wiley Evers, shot in the back and murdered in Jackson,
Mississippi, on June 12, 1963, by Klansman, Freemason and Shriner Byron
De La Beckwith.
While progress has been made to bridge the gap between Prince Hall
and Non-Prince Hall Masonry in terms of recognition, there is no
evidence, in the foreseeable future, to suggestion that there will ever
be one Grand Lodge System in the United States. In fact, Prince Hall
recognition in America didn't even begin until 1989, more than 200 years
after Freemasonry came to this country. What's worse is the fact that it
wasn't until July 14, 2001 that the 'white' Shriners finally recognized
Prince Hall Shriners, despite the landmark US Supreme Court case of
August 1929, which declared Prince Hall Masonry and its Shriners as
legitimate!
"Thirty-seven (out of a total of 51 - 73%) U.S. Grand Lodges
have adopted resolutions that say Prince Hall Masonry is 'regular.'
Some have adopted 'full recognition,' in the same sense they recognize
any other Grand Lodge, while others have granted 'recognition' to the
extent of permitting inter-visitation but not dual membership, and
some have adopted resolutions supporting Prince Hall Masonry but
making recognition subject to something such as adoption of similar
action by Prince Hall Masonry."
"There are 41 states (plus D.C.) in the U.S. that have Prince
Hall Grand Lodges (the other 10 states may have Prince Hall lodges,
but chartered by a Prince Hall Grand Lodge of another state). Of these
41 U.S. states that have Prince Hall Grand Lodges, 27 have been
recognized by the 'predominately white' Grand Lodge in that
state."
Source: Paul M. Bessel, Executive
Secretary of the Masonic Leadership Center,
www.bessel.org
| 37 U.S. Grand Lodges (including
Alaska, Hawaii & D.C.) have voted in favor of Prince hall
Masonry Recognition |
 |
| map based on information available
to Paul M. Bessel as of May 20, 2003 |
It should be no surprise to see the states in
white that would much rather keep Freemasonry white as well.
| States in the
Confederate States of America 1861 - 1865 |
 |
|
CSA State |
Claimed CSA State |
Claimed CSA Territory |
So, what is the point of all this? T.N. Sampson of Cornerstone
Ministries put it this way:
"Racial segregation has existed in Freemasonry for centuries,
as I'm sure that all of us would agree. Many lodges today would never
admit a black man to membership and, as others have pointed out, some
now do. Let's take it as given that change is in the air.
"But the real point is that admission of blacks into 'regular'
Masonry is a recent practice, as Masonry adjusts to the prevailing
views of equality being adopted by American society. But, as
Freemasonry has been in the business of 'making good men better,' why
weren't the lodges in the forefront of this change in the 1930's and
beyond? Why has integration in the lodges not developed in parallel to
that in American as a whole and long in advance of it?"
"Masons love to point out that lodges exist in free societies,
as though the lodge preceded the freedom. In reality, the freedom
existed first, the lodge followed."
"When Masonry really exists in fact as it does in fiction, it
will be at the lead on social and moral development. Until then, it's
just a group of average men congratulating themselves on what great
guys they are."
In today's politically correct climate, the biblical perspective
about man's relationship to God is often ignored or drowned out by the
voices of the secular worldview that "we are
all God's children." This view stems largely from the
premise that since God is the Creator of mankind, He is therefore, the
father of all mankind. Meanwhile, evangelical Christians who counter
this falsehood with biblical truth are often dismissed as narrow-minded,
bigoted and uninformed.
The truth of the matter is that God wants everyone on this planet to
be adopted into His family through faith in His son, Jesus Christ our
Lord. His Word declares this in the following passages of Scripture:
"Our fraternal Order of Christian brotherhood united under the
blood of the risen Savior Jesus Christ cannot be compared to the
man-made, discriminatory, self-glorifying, works-based religious
fraternity from whence we came."
Dr. Randall C. Pendland, an Ex-Mason for
Jesus and a proud member of the Order of Former Freemasons
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