In the early eighteenth century Freemasonry swept through Europe and into the Americas where it became especially popular with the educated and land owning classes. Most the colonials adhered firmly to the codes of secrecy of the organization. But in the South, most of the land owners also owned slaves. And since slaves were considered less than human, no effort was made to conceal the Masonic rituals from those who had driven the Master to his meetings or those who prepared and served the food and beverages.

Ironically, it was the same rules that prohibited writing any of the Masonic ritual that gave rise to Black Masonry. Since everything had to be committed to memory, the same slaves who were being ignored were also memorizing the these supposedly "secret" works. Equally ironic was the fact that had these activities been written, they would have been more secret since slaves were forbidden to learn how to read and write. The real secret of Masonry for over two hundred years was Black Masonry.

After the Civil War, when it was no longer necessary to keep their knowledge of Masonry a secret, these black Masons quickly began forming their own lodges and groups. Just as quickly, the white Masons began denying what was being called Negro Masonry as "real" Masonry. The whites, who had been forming their own "Grand Lodges" open only to whites, now said that any lodge not a part of their Grand Lodge was considered "clandestine". Black Masons too were forming their own grand lodges under the banner of a man named Prince Hall. Not only were members of these "clandestine" lodges not permitted to visit "regular" lodges, but the rules of Masonry had long forbidden any member of a "regular" lodge from visiting a "clandestine" lodge. This "clandestine" rule served the discriminatory needs of white Masons for decades. It would be the end of the twentieth century before this system would begin to end. Only then would individual white state Grand Lodges begin to "recognize" their Prince Hall counterparts effectively removing the "clandestine" label.

This story is set during the late 1990s as the Grand Lodge of North Carolina begins to join the eighty percent of state grand lodges who have recognized Prince Hall Masons as true and legitimate Masons. The process was far from instant and would take over ten years to accomplish.

Chapter 1

I didn’t hear the word "Nigger" until I was eleven years old. I’m certain growing up in the segregated South it was said in my presence many times, but my parents didn’t use the word and I don’t remember any of my neighbors saying it. Others around me probably used the word but the way they said it couldn’t have been significant because I just don’t remember it.

The first time I heard the word, or actually saw it, was on a hot Sunday in downtown Raleigh. I remember it was Sunday because my parents and I had just gotten out of church and noticed something going on a couple of blocks away on Capitol Square. We were curious so my father drove in that direction.

Just as soon as we began circling the Capitol my father moaned and said, "oh god, Let’s get out of here." But he couldn’t. The off streets were blocked with people. Some were wearing white robes and carrying signs saying "Niggers Know Your Place" and "KKK Forever". All we could do was follow the line of traffic. By the time we approached the other end of the street, the route was lined with men dressed like soldiers, helmets and all, except these uniforms didn’t say "US Army" they said "KKK". I didn’t understand a thing going on. The people were chanting "Hell No - Hell No". One even ran up to us screaming "Hell No - Hell No" and pounded on the roof of our car. I was scared. What were these people so mad about?

Like a normal eleven year old unaware of the situation I asked my father what KKK meant. Somewhat whispering he responded "Ku Klux Klan." With all the commotion I didn’t understand why he was whispering. I thought he had said "clown" and said that I didn’t think they were funny. Just then my father saw an opening on Dawson Street and jerked the steering wheel to the left and grunted that there wasn’t a damn thing funny about them.

I could tell my father was relieved to be out of the "parade" and I was full of questions. The first was to ask my father to tell me what a "Nigger" was. It was obvious those KKK people didn’t like Niggers, whatever they were.

When we were several blocks away my father pulled the car over to the curb. I can still hear his words. "Davey, Nigger is a word ignorant, uneducated, people call Colored people and I don’t want to ever hear you say it."

My father looked at my mother who hadn’t said a thing. "In a way it’s funny," he said.

"What was funny? Those people scared the daylights out of me." she said.

"I wonder what they’d think if they knew they had a good Catholic family in their hands. They hate Catholics just about as much as they do Colored people and Jews. Then I saw him replace the plastic statue of Jesus that was always on the dashboard of our car. Somehow, when he saw those Klu Kluxers it had disappeared under the seat."

It was a day I’ll never forget because of the hate I saw in those people’s faces. But why did they hate Colored people?

I grew up in a typical 1950s neighborhood in Raleigh, North Carolina which was, and still is, predominately a college and white collar town. Mothers stayed at home and took care of the children and the fathers went to work. I saw Colored people all the time. Colored People was what we called Negroes in the 50s. There had been Colored people around me all my life. Our maid, Lois, meant as much to me as my own mother. My father was in the produce business furnishing tomatoes and potatoes to the armed forces and supermarkets and had thirty or forty working at his plant at any time. I knew most of them by name. It was confusing.

I knew there were differences in White people and Colored people. Everywhere I went it was obvious. Colored people sat at the back of the bus. Whenever Lois would take me uptown we would take the bus and the first thing she would do is take me by the hand and guide me to the back of the bus so I could sit with her. I had seen water fountains for "Colored" and "White" all my life. Even in my own father’s plant there were separate bathrooms for Colored and White just like there were for men and women. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t question it. That was just the way it was.

It was about a year after the Ku Klux Klan incident when the whole thing really became personal... and real.

On weekends and during the summer my father would let me work at the plant stacking crates and pouring tomatoes into the grading machine. The $1.25 an hour I made seemed like a fortune to me and the work wasn’t so bad.

I was working on the grading machine when I heard the foreman say that we needed to get the order we were working on finished by six o’clock because the order needed to be in New York by the next morning. New York? This order was going to New York? To a Southern boy the two words New and York sounded like magic. And, this truckload of tomatoes was headed to New York? Okay. I knew what needed to be done. I went straight to my father’s office. I didn’t have any idea that he would let me go, but one thing was certain. If I didn’t ask, I wouldn’t.

I went into my father’s office and went through the normal teenage "I don’t ask for much" things. Actually, I wasn’t a teenager. I was only twelve, but at twelve you think you’re twenty. My father leaned back in his chair and asked me if I was ready for such a big trip. My answer was a quick "yes". He looked at his work orders and told me that Roosevelt was going to be driving the truck. As soon as I heard that I knew I was halfway there. Roosevelt had been with my father for over twenty years and my father trusted him absolutely. My father told me to go back to work and he would talk to me in a few minutes. I knew that this meant he would talk it over with my mother.

It wasn’t long before my name was called over the intercom. I was on my way to New York.

There’s very few things as loud as an eighteen-wheeler on the open road, but even the roar of that truck didn’t dampen the new adventures of that trip. While Roosevelt was delivering the tomatoes I took my first ride in a New York taxi, an adventure in itself. But I was lucky. The driver wasn’t the con-man type I had been warned to avoid. I got him on the way back. The first driver knew I was a kid and from my accent knew I was from the South. He asked me if I had ever been to New York before. When I told him I hadn’t, he flipped the meter off and took the kid from the South to see New York. We saw the Empire State Building, Avenue of the Americas, Central Park and a dozen other places I’d only seen on TV. It was fantastic!

The only fly in the ointment of my trip was at a roadside restaurant in New Jersey. Even in the North, at that time there were separate entrances for Colored and White. We stopped at a place and I got out of the truck to get the food. Inside, I looked a menu to make sure I had brought in enough money and the man behind the counter looked at me and asked if I was riding in that truck with that Nigger. My father’s words of uneducated and ignorant went through my mind, even as it does today. I told him that I was in a truck with a Colored man if that’s what he meant and he told me I could go over to the Colored entrance to order my food. That they don’t serve Niggers even if a White man is buying it for them.

Not knowing what to do, I walked out the front door and went into the side door of the restaurant, the one marked "Colored". Even today I wish I had told him to shove his food and his restaurant up where the sun don’t shine, but I sincerely doubt if he would have cared.

Chapter 2

y life was about as normal as it gets until I was about thirty years old. By both fate and choice I had ended up in the finance business and accepted a job in a small town about fifty miles west of Raleigh. Many of the guys I worked with were Shriners and it appeared to be the best bet going for a social life for my wife and I. Eventually I asked about becoming a Shriner and was told that I would first need to become a Mason. It made no sense to me, but I petitioned the local lodge to become a Mason. The Masons certainly wasn’t the party group I anticipated with the Shrine, but there was something about it I immediately liked. It was good, and the people in it appeared a bit above the average.

Immediately after I became a Mason I joined the Shrine. Though I was told that I didn’t have to spend any time in the Masons, something drew me to it. There was something clean about it, like I said before... something good.

Eventually, I was much more of a Mason than I was a Shriner

Over the next few years, I became deeply involved in Masonry. Though I had joined just to get into the Shrine, it didn’t take long for my interest to wane. Most of the Shriners, including the friends who originally got me interested, enjoyed going to the Shrine club and to the ceremonials, but most of that consisted of drinking and gambling. Even in my college years, I thought both pursuits were overrated.

This wasn’t the case with Masonry. I constantly found something new and interesting. Its three-century old traditions and ritual fascinated me. Its mystery mesmerized me. I accepted an appointment as an officer in the lodge and within a few years I was elected Master. After I finished my term as Master, Reverend Rooker resigned and I was elected Secretary.

Other positions followed. I was appointed District Deputy Grand Master and became involved with lodges in my area. In 1995 I was appointed to the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education. For years, such appointments were little more than a political "thank you" given by a Grand Master during his year to a friend or someone who had helped him during his term. I didn’t know this and grabbed my new position with gusto.

Each year, my Masonic Lodge sponsored a spaghetti supper for charity. Though we had an occasional black person to attend, it’s almost automatic that they would pick up a plate at the door and leave. But one particular year a thirtyish looking black man came in and went straight to the dining room. As soon as he took a seat, eyes darted among those serving plates.

"You gonna’ to wait on the Nigger?" one server whispered to me.

"Just wait a while," one of the others said in not too quiet voice. "He’ll go up, get a plate and leave."

"Bullshit," I said as I picked up a plate, "his dollar’s as good as the next. I’ll wait on him."

It was almost fun glancing at the shocked faces as I headed toward the man.

"So, you’re the one who’s going to serve the Nigger," the guy said as I sat his plate in front of him and aligned his silverware.

"‘Nigger,’ that’s an unusual name. Is it first or last?

"Look dude, I can hear the word Nigger a mile away."

"That, my friend, is a valuable talent. Have you made the CIA aware? Might be big bucks."

The man smiled. "Don’t worry. I’ll just eat and get out of here."

"No rush. You paid for it, enjoy it but seriously, what is your name?"

"Mark..., Mark Avery. And yours?"

"David Logan. Glad you came and remember. It’s all you can eat," I said. "You paid for it, if you want more just let me know. It’s really pretty good. You’ll probably want more. I’ll check back with you later."

"Don’t worry, everybody in this room is staring at me."

"Oh hell, they’re just overprotective about the silverware."

He looked down at the spoon and knife, "they’re just tin."

I smiled and said, "don’t tell them, they think it’s silver."

It would be six months before I would see Mark again. This time it would be at the mall. I was in the mall at Chik-fil-A when I heard someone ask, "can a darker brother sit with you?" I looked up and immediately recognized the man. "Mark Avery," I said.

"You remember my name"

"Sure I do, but I thought your taste was more toward spaghetti."

"No, actually I love these things, especially the waffle fries."

"Please, sit."

"I’m surprised you remember me."

"Why wouldn’t I. Some people would’ve thought coming in the dining room that night would be a bit gutsy, but you did it anyhow."

"Yea, and you’ll never know how much I appreciate how you treated me. I had to find out something."

"Find out something?"

"Yea," he said as he shoved his hand toward the middle of the table. On his ring finger was a bright new Masonic ring."

"Am I noticing something new?" I asked.

"Yea, I was Raised Tuesday night."

"Well congratulations. Proud of you, Brother."

"I think some would be a little sensitive about you calling me Brother."

"Yea, maybe so, but screw them. They have problems I don’t have, but you still haven’t answered me. You said you had to find out something. What?"

"I’ve wanted to be a Mason all my life. My Grandfather was one and he was a wonderful man."

"Okay, but that still doesn’t answer my question. Why did you come that night?"

"All my life I’ve heard that Masons are supposed to treat each other with respect. They’re supposed to love each other."

"Okay," I responded. "They’re supposed to."

"You also know that’s a bunch of crap."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"A black Mason may love and respect another black Mason and a white Mason may love and respect another white Mason, but it doesn’t work all the way around. To most white Masons I’m just a Nigger and to most black Masons..."

"I’m just a Honkie," I said before Mark had a chance to say it.

"Yea... you’re just a Honkie and I was told that if I went to that dinner and sat down I wouldn’t find one Mason who would treat me as anything but a Nigger. So I went."

"Still why?"

"Because if there was one Mason that treated me as something more than..."

"Okay. I get your point, but what if the situation was reversed. What if I had gone to a black Masonic dinner?"

"You’d have been treated with respect, but it wouldn’t be the respect of a fellow Mason. It would be the respect of someone who had been waiting on your kind for three hundred years."

"Well, what happened? What did you see?"

"Something better that I expected. I actually expected to be asked out."

"No, that wouldn’t have happened."

"No, and only a couple of your guys even acted rude."

"You mean your supersonic nig-dar?"

Yea, my supersonic nig-dar. But there’s a few assholes in every group, Masons are no exception. I can accept that, but when you went out of your way to welcome me, even joke with me, then maybe there was something to this Masonic thing. Maybe there was hope. That night, after I left the spaghetti dinner I went to my Granddad’s and told him I wanted to become a Mason. He beamed!"

"That is great, Mark"

"Yea, it is great, but one question... am I your brother? Seriously, am I really your brother?"

I looked straight into Mark’s eyes. He was asking me a serious question, a question I had rather not answer. "Are you asking me, Mark, or are you asking the system? If you’re asking me the answer is yes... hell yes! But if you’re asking some archaic system set up two centuries ago by a bunch of holier than thou slave owners and perpetuated by a bunch of insecure Rednecks, I would have to say no."

As I watched Mark walk out the front door of the mall I remembered a day not too long ago that I had walked out the same door. I remembered finding a pamphlet under the windshield of my car, The Curse of Baphomet. When I saw the pamphlet had something to do with Masonry I read it from front to back and immediately headed back to Larry Hester’s office. I had already been there once that morning but I considered what I had seen in the pamphlet important... very important. I had just joined the Masons and Hester was coaching me in the catechisms. He coached many of the new Masons in their catechism, something new Masons had to memorize on their way through the three "degrees" to becoming a "Third Degree" or "Master" Mason.

Though learning the lessons was sometimes difficult, one of the rewards of the half-hour or so a day spent with Hester was learning about Masonry itself. He was a fount of knowledge about the centuries old fraternity. And, like most new Masons, these things fascinated me. I barged into his office and I’m sure I looked excited.

"Larry, we need to talk," I said and shoved the pamphlet toward Hester. "What is this?" I asked.

"Oh, I see Mrs. Irma’s out and about," Hester said smiling. "I would have thought it was a bit warm for the old dear to be out passing out her poison."

"You know about these things?" I said. Now I was confused.

"Oh yes, Mrs. Irma’s been passing them out for years. They don’t mean a thing."

"From what I read, it sounds pretty serious. It says that the Masons worship Satan. I didn’t know anything about that."

"David, I’ve been a Mason over thirty years and I assure you we don’t now, or have we ever worshiped Satan. That’s just some silliness the holy rollers made up. It means nothing. Throw the thing away. There’s not a word of truth in it."

In a way, I felt relieved, but things were coming at me too quickly. I never had any plans to become a Mason in the first place. I wanted to become a Shriner. Several of my friends were Shriners and it looked like something that might be fun. But, when I asked about joining I was told I had to join the Masons first. It didn’t make any sense to me, but I didn’t want to look stupid by asking too many questions. I went along.

It wasn’t only the Bible tract, but that very morning I had asked Hester about the Masonic lodge I had seen out on the highway and wondered why no one ever mentioned it. Hester’s answer had been simple and matter of fact. "That’s a Nigger lodge," he said. "They’re not real Masons. They just call themselves Masons. Their stuff isn’t anything like ours. They can’t even visit our lodge. Like I say... they’re not real Masons."

I didn’t say anything, but Hester had used the word "Nigger" so easily it concerned me. I had grown up in a college town fifty miles west. There, people didn’t talk that way. I had never even heard the word "Nigger" until I was eleven or twelve years old. Even then I had to ask my father what it meant. Yet here, in a small agricultural town, terms to belittle people were used as easily as words like "apple" and "street". To these people, it was just common English. I was uncomfortable, but when in Rome....

"Larry, I wasn’t..."

"No, you need to go ahead and satisfy yourself before you go any further. If you don’t, it’ll be on your mind from now on. Go ahead and do it. I’ll call him and tell him you’re coming."

I decided to do as Hester had suggested and call on Pastor Rooker When he arrived at the Baptist Church, Rooker was sitting at a picnic table near the parking lot thumbing through a Bible and making notes on a legal pad. He motioned for I to join him.

"Good morning, Brother Logan. Good to see you. Everything going to suit you?" The man was bright and cheerful. My snow white hair and broad smile made him immediately likable. "It’s been so hot I just decided to sit outside where it’s cooler. Brother Larry tells me you had a visit from Mrs. Irma and want to ask me some questions."

"Yes Sir, it’s about a pamphlet on my windshield." Just then he remembered he had left the pamphlet in Hester’s office. "I’m sorry, Sir. I left it in Larry’s office. Let me go back and get..."

"Don’t worry about it. I probably have a dozen of them in my office. Mrs. Irma leaves one on my car about every month or two. She’s very dependable."

"You and Larry both call her Mrs. Irma. It’s like you know her."

"No, not really. She came to church here a time or two but somehow she got hooked-up with one of those television preachers and I never saw her again. I guess she thinks she’s doing God’s work passing out those Bible tracts, but I can promise you, she’s paying for them out of her own pocket and..."

"In other words, the only one coming out ahead is the guy printing the tracts."

"Exactly," responded Rooker. "The tracts are amazing to me. There’s not one word of truth in any of them and the guy has tracts on every religion, club and organization you can think of. I can’t believe people actually believe those things."

"In other words, there’s nothing to worry about?"

"No. Not one thing. It’s all absurd."

"But in the pamphlet says only the highest ranking Masons know about Baphomet."

Pastor Rooker reached over and shook my hand and as he did he turned my wrist and pointed to his ring. "Do you know what that is?" he asked.

"No Sir, a gold ring."

"No, it’s a bit more than that. Notice the 33 and three bands around it. It’s a sign that I am a thirty-third Degree Mason. Last time I checked there wasn’t anything higher. And, I can promise you that if there was any devil worship anywhere in Masonry I would have been out long ago. There’s nothing to it. I promise you. By the way, I don’t remember seeing you in church."

"No Sir, I’m an Episcopalian."

"Oh, one of Phil’s boys."

"You know Father Byers?"

"Oh, Phil and I have played golf every Wednesday for as long as I can remember. I think the world of him, but Brother Larry said you had another concern."

"Yes Sir, I do. The thing about the black Masons. Something just doesn’t sound right."

"No, it doesn’t. And... it isn’t right. But, my brother, that’s just the way it is... at least in North Carolina. I think some of the New England states have changed it and maybe California, but my friend, it’s going to be a long time before anyone in the south does it. You don’t have to like it, but for now, if you want to be a Mason in North Carolina, you do have to live with it."

My visit to Rooker had cleared up some of my thoughts, but the answers still didn’t seem right. In the lecture that followed my First Degree something had been said about Masonry looking at all men as equals. Obviously, that wasn’t exactly true. If that wasn’t true, what else in the myriad of books, booklets, lectures and lessons about Masonry wasn’t true?

Chapter 3

The Masonic Education Committee met in Raleigh about once a month and I was in awe of the others who were on the committee. Many were men I had never met, but whose names I had seen constantly in Masonic publications. Some could be defined as the movers and shakers of Masonry in North Carolina. I often felt overwhelmed.

As the year progressed, I became close to several on the committee, one especially, a Presbyterian minister from the mountains. I found Ralph Perry to be one of the kindest, most sincere people I had ever met. He never said anything unkind about anyone or complained about anything. All that year the committee worked in perfect unison and produced study materials for the over three hundred lodges like they had never seen before. We did the same the following year. Anything that was asked of the committee was produced and anything the committee asked of the Grand Lodge was granted. Everything appeared in perfect harmony... at least with the committee. Elsewhere, my old-time fly in the ointment, the race issue, was about to surface.

The July/August issue of the N.C. Mason, the fraternity’s newspaper, had an article about the Board of General Purpose’s, the Grand Master’s advisory board, voting for a resolution that condemned racism. The article drew comments as few articles in the past had done.

IN THE NEWS

July/August 1977

Resolution Of The Board Of General Purposes

Grand Lodge Of Ancient, Free And Accepted Masons Of North Carolina

WHEREAS, racial discrimination is abhorrent and unacceptable, and

WHEREAS, Freemasonry and the Grand Lodge of North Carolina teach the

principles of friendship, morality, and brotherly love, and

WHEREAS, Freemasonry regards the internal and not the external qualifications

of a man, and

WHEREAS, the right of visitation is a Masonic landmark recognized in tmy

Grand Jurisdiction,

NOW THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES OF THE GRAND

LODGE OF ANCIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF NORTH CAROLINA

RESOLVES that racial discrimination is abhorrent, unacceptable, and unmasonic.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no board, committee, commission, subordinate

lodge, or associated Masonic body in tmy Grand Jurisdiction shall maintain any

racially discriminatory guidelines, practices, or policies.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the master of a Masonic lodge in tmy Grand

Jurisdiction shall not consider the race of any Brother from a recognized lodge in

deciding who may visit in my lodge.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the master of a Masonic lodge in tmy Grand

Jurisdiction shall not consider any objection to such a visitation that he believes

is based on race.

Unanimously adopted the 20th day of June, 1997 by the members here present:

Albert Williams mentioned the article at the first lodge dinner after it appeared. "Brothers," he announced to everyone in earshot, "did anyone see that thing in the N.C. Mason about racism? I can’t believe those people did that."

Tallon Trask piped in by asking, "you mean what that board did?"

"Yea, that thing about we’re supposed to go along with those Niggers calling themselves Masons. That ain’t what I learned. I was told ain’t no Niggers can be can be no Mason."

All of a sudden, the entire table seemed interested.

Another person piped in, "Didn’t make any sense to me either. Those colored people are clandestine. We swore not to have anything to do with ‘em. It was right there in our oath."

"Yea, you exactly right and I hear that two Niggers already tried to get into a couple of lodges and they kicked ‘em out," said Trask.

"That’s what they supposed to do," said Mark Simpson. "They’re clandestine."

I began speaking before I had considered my actions. "It wasn’t in that article, but somewhere in the paper it said that several grand lodges have already recognized Prince Hall Masons."

"How can they do that?" asked Trask. "They’re clandestine. Everybody knows that."

"Yea," said someone else. "I guarantee you it’s them damn Yankee grand lodges. They think Niggers is just like white folks."

"Maybe so," I said, "but we recognized those grand lodges the two black guys you’re talking about are from. Nobody else did it. As far as the Grand Lodge of North Carolina is concerned, they’re legit. They’re Masons just like us."

"Maybe we recognized them,"said Trask, "whatever the hell that means, but my coach told me no Nigger could ever be a Mason and my coach was one of the smartest Masons I ever knew. He knew what he was talking about."

"Evidently not," I said, "not if we recognize them."

"Even if they’re Niggers?" asked Trask.

"What’s that got to do with it?" I asked.

Barry Welch, who hadn’t said anything spoke up, "who let this damn Nigger lover in?" he asked looking directly at me.

"You can call me a Nigger lover if you want to, but I’m just trying to tell you the way it is."

Barry Lang motioned to say something. "You keep talking about this recognizing stuff. What do you mean by recognized?"

"It means we recognize... we accept... them as Masons, just as much a Mason as any one of us."

"Can we do that? I thought Niggers couldn’t be Masons, period."

"The Grand Lodge recognizes other grand lodges every year. Last year we recognized the Bahamas and Liberia. They are Black and any one of their members can walk into one of our lodges and we’re supposed to accept them. If we don’t it’s wrong."

"It won’t wrong if it’s a damn Nigger," said someone at the end of the table. "They can’t be Masons."

"If you people don’t mind, I wish you’d quit saying Nigger. It makes you sound so stupid and I’m not going to argue with you. You brought it up. I didn’t."

"Sorry if I offend you, brother," Trask seemed to strain on the word brother, "but that’s the way I was brought up."

"Well, I can promise you, you’re going to see a whole lot more of it before it’s all over."

"God, I hope not," said Trask as he walked out.

That night during the lodge meeting, I kept rethinking the events at dinner. It wasn’t what Trask or a couple of the others had said. They were racists and proud of it. It was the ones who had said nothing that I was contemplating.

No mention had been made of the Grand Master’s article in the same N.C. Mason which condemned racism. I had to wonder exactly what was coming. Yet, in the very next issue of the paper it was made clear that the majority of grand lodges in the United States would soon recognize Prince Hall Masonry as regular Masonry. I wondered what was going on in the minds of those I call "brother."

Chapter 4

I wouldn’t have to wait long to see the membership’s attitude about the resolution by the Board of General Purposes. In April of 1998 at the annual meeting, the delegates refused to support the resolution made by the Board of General Purposes. In a heated discussion, the ins and outs of the resolution became a quagmire that eventually resulted in no vote. Those that had sworn to uphold the equality of man had refused to uphold the equality of the races. Yet, at the conclusion of the session, outgoing Grand Master Albert Webb dropped a bombshell that would rock the fraternity for more than a decade. He announced that he was forming a task force to study the recognition of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina... the black Masons. In a memorable speech, he stated that the reason was simple... it was the right thing to do.

I was sitting with Ralph Perry as Webb made my speech and when he announced that the chairman of the committee would be Ralph Perry, I’s head snapped to my left. "Did you know about tmy?" he asked.

"Of course I did," answered Perry.

"Well then, I’ve got to ask. Are you out of your mind?"

"Why?" asked Perry in obvious surprise.

"Ralph, I would be surprised if there isn’t a crowd of them headed out to cut the tires on your car right now."

"No, these people are Masons. They don’t think that way."

"Bless you Ralph," thought I, "I wish you were right, but I know you are wrong."

Word of the Grand Master’s action spread through the membership at an unbelievable rate. The next morning I joined my friends at Bojangles for our regular breakfast get-together.

"I got a call last night," said Allen Marks. "Someone tells me we’re getting ready to merge with the Niggers. Stupidest thing I ever heard of."

"No, you heard wrong," I responded in a curt manner, "nobody has said anything about merging with anyone. All the Grand Master did was appoint a group to study recognizing Prince Hall Masonry. That’s all. No one has said anything about merging."

"What do you mean recognizing?"

"Just saying they are Masons just like us. Just ‘recognizing’ their Masonry. It’s no big deal."

Just then Barry Lynch sat down and overheard part of the conversation. "What are y’all talking about? Who has the right to be a Mason?"

"The Niggers," said Allen. "They want to be Masons just like us. Now they want us to say they are."

"How can we do that? Asked Barry, "they’re not. They’re not real Masons. They just call themselves that. Now they want us to say they’re just like us. What else do those damn people want?"

I rolled my eyes. "They don’t want a damn thing," he said. "The Grand Master just said that they’re there. They’re Masons just like us and it is time for us to quit pretending they don’t exist."

"I don’t get what you’re saying, Logan. We all know they’re not real Masons. That was one of the first things they told me... Niggers ain’t real Masons. How can they be like us? They don’t even do the same stuff. We don’t even know if they say the same..." Barry clicked his fingers trying to remember the word.

Allen chimed in, "ritual."

"Yea, ritual. We don’t even know what their ritual says."

"Good God," I said. "That’s why the Grand Master appointed the committee. To study those things and find out. No one’s saying we do a thing until all those questions are answered. That’s as far as it goes. He just wants us to study it. Then... depending on what they find, that’s when we do something... or don’t. Like I say, depending on what they find."

Barry nodded my head then asked, "why, after all these years, have the Niggers just now decided to ask us to..." he clicked my fingers again.

"Recognize them," I said.

"Yea, recognize them. Why after all this time are the Niggers all of a sudden asking us to.. recognize them."

"Barry, would you quit saying ‘Niggers’? It makes you sound so goddamn stupid."

"Well, I don’t like it when you say GD."

"I know. That’s exactly why I said it. You don’t like ‘GD’ and I don’t like ‘Niggers’."

"Yea, but it’s a sin to use God’s name in vain."

"To me, it’s a sin to sound stupid. So, let’s both not do it."

"Okay, but answer my question. Why, all of a sudden are the Nigg... pardon me, the Negroes, asking us to do... that thing?"

"I think they like ‘Blacks’, but I don’t know that they’ve asked for anything. The Grand Master said we are doing it because it’s the right thing to do. Not because they asked."

"Gezzus," said Allen. "The Grand Master is a white man. Isn’t that right?"

I nodded my head.

"Why would a white man, any white man, out of the blue, ask us to recognize a bunch of..." Allen smiled at I. "...Blacks... that haven’t even asked? Doesn’t make sense. You can say what you want to, but it’s just like everything else. We let ‘em in our schools... the schools have gone to hell. We let ‘em in our neighborhoods... they’re ain’t a white neighborhood left. We do tmy recognizing thing and before long they’ll be coming in our lodges. It just ain’t right.""

"Well, the Grand Master says it’s the right thing to do. And, I agree with him."

"Right thing or not right thing," said Barry, "you know as well as I do, when it comes down to a vote, ain’t no white man in tmy state gonna’ vote to let in no Nigg.. Black. Just ain’t gonna’ happen."

"No one’s asking to let them in our lodges or anything else. They’re just wanting to study the right thing to do."

"That’s how it always starts, but if we get to vote... well, like I said. It just ain’t gonna’ happen."

"I don’t know," said I, but as the subject changed to the upcoming NC State - Duke game, I couldn’t do anything but fear that maybe Barry knew what he was talking about. Right or wrong may have nothing to do with it.

The next few months were quiet. Very quiet. A comment was made every now and then but it appeared that if the subject of recognizing Prince Hall wasn’t mentioned, it might just go away. A new Grand Master took office. As had been done in the past, Randy Wills, a mild-mannered businessman began conducting District Meetings throughout the state. At each one, he made it clear that the Prince Hall Recognition study would be at the top of my agenda. At each one, he encountered opposition. Yet, he appeared to be committed to Webb’s belief that it was the right thing.

In July 1998, I met with the Education Committee in Raleigh. While I was there, he chanced to run into Ralph Perry.

As we met, I showed my joy in seeing my old friend. "You know I wish you were still on the Education Committee," I said meaning every word.

"You got to admit, we did do good for a while didn’t we?" Ralph said through a broad smile.

"Yes we did. How’s the new committee going? Wills’ District meetings aren’t making him the best loved one in the camp."

"Oh, he can handle it," said Ralph. "It’s just a few loudmouths trying to hold onto the way it was. They’ll calm down soon enough. We’re scheduling the listening sessions now. That’ll give them a chance to vent. Then, they should be okay."

"Listening sessions," asked I curiously. "What do you mean by listening sessions?"

"The Task Force is scheduling listening sessions around the state. We figure that when all the opinions are in, the Masons will do the right thing. This way, when recognition passes, no one can say ‘we didn’t ask’."

I suddenly felt weak. He couldn’t believe what he was saying. "Ralph, are you serious? Do you realize how hostile these people actually are?"

"Oh, some of them from down your way are, but the most of our guys are decent Masons. They’ll live up to their obligations. I have faith in them."

"Ralph, I gotta’ ask you. Are all Presbyterians as stupid as you are?"

Ralph chuckled. "David, you’ve just been listening to the wrong people. They’ll come across. Just wait and see."

I half-way stuttered. "Ralph, I didn’t mean to call you stupid. Naive is maybe a better word, but you can’t be serious about having listening sessions."

"Dead serious. The letter’s going out as we speak. They start in September, that’s why I’m in Raleigh today."

"Ralph, I take back what I said. You are stupid."

"Just wait, my friend. You’ll see. You’ll see."

IN THE NEWS

July/August 1998

Prince Hall Task Force To

Hold Listening Meetings

The Grand Lodge Task Force created

to investigate Prince Hall recognition

in North Carolina will be holding

"active listening" sessions at ten locations

around the state in September.

Each lodge will give a three-minute position

statement to be be put on permanent,

published record to aid the Craft

in its 1999 decision. Begin work now to

make a lodge statement you can be

proud of. Lodges will be notified as soon

as the final schedule is available. Ask

your secretary or DDGM.

Few Masonic meetings are ever well-attended, but Ralph Perry’s "Listening Sessions" were a gross exception. I made a point of attending the first session. From the very start, the comments were ugly... very ugly. At the first session one speaker stood and made no effort to hide his feelings. "I have been a Mason for over forty years and was told from the very start that those people are clandestine. I wasn’t even supposed to talk to them. Now we’re supposed to throw the doors wide open to them. Doesn’t make one bit of sense."

Before he could be seated another man stood and said, "I was told them Niggers can’t be Masons. They just say they’re Masons. Do you people know what the hell you’re doing? This is the stupidest thing I ever heard of. The Niggers have taken every other damn thing from the whites. They’ve screwed up our schools. Half the son-of-a-bitches are on welfare and I..."

The man in charge interrupted the speaker, "Brother... brother... we’re not going to lose our tempers. I can see..."

The speaker immediately retorted. "Wait just a damn minute. You people asked for our opinion and now you’re telling me I can’t say what I want. I have the floor and as I was saying... half of those black son-of-a-bitches are on welfare and..."

The man at the front slammed down a gavel and said, "Brother... maybe I didn’t say it so you could understand it. I’ll try again. I know some of you are angry that this subject even came up, but even so, we are going to conduct ourselves as Masons and gentlemen and if you can’t do that you will not be allowed to speak. Yes, Brother, we want your opinion, but there’s a right way and a wrong way and for one thing, the people we’re talking about are Prince Hall Masons, not Niggers. Now, Brother, if you think you can conduct yourself in a civil manner, we’ll hear what you have to say."

"Excuse me, Bother," said the man speaking, "I apologize for my way of talking and it won’t happen again. But what I was saying is the Nigg... excuse me, the blacks.. ain’t real Masons. I was told that from the very start. If I’d have thought for one minute that I was going to have to socialize with some... black, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t want to be here."

Each speaker had been given three minutes to present his thoughts. For the remaining two minutes the speaker basically repeated himself. The following two speakers said the same. Then, another speaker stood. "Do we even know what ritual them Prince Hall people use? Ain’t none of us ever seen their ritual. Do they use the same ritual we do? Does anybody know?"

Even the man in charge was taken aback by the question but his response was good. "I can’t answer your question, Brother, but that’s why the Grand Master formed the task force, to look into things exactly like what you’re asking."

To put into its simplest terms, the "Listening Sessions" were a disaster. The "kind", "gentle" Masons from whom Ralph Perry expected hear, if they existed at all... were few. Though there were several who spoke for recognition, and spoke eloquently, from the first, most of the reports, discussion and statements were the racist South at its worst.

Comments ranged from complex doubts about the "regularity" of Prince Hall Masonry to simple "I ain’t gonna’ sit in no lodge with a Nigger." Others stood religiously by the "Code", a book of rules and regulations. In the Code it states that the Grand Lodge of North Carolina is the only governing Masonic body in the state and no other Masonic entity shall be recognized. To some, the statement seemed iron-clad and irrefutable. It seemed iron-clad until some realized it had no legal authority over anyone but the present members.

Masonry has a complex system of one "body" must originate from another. The system has gone on for centuries. As far as Masonry is concerned, anything created on its own has no merit, and for all intents and purposes, doesn’t exist. The holy grail of this heritage is the Grand Lodge of England which was established in 1717. To the many of the Grand Lodges, any Masonic group that cannot trace its ancestry back to the Grand Lodge of England is simply not there. Members of such groups, though they may call themselves Masons, are not allowed into mainstream lodges. We are not allowed to discuss Masonry in any form with them and they are not "real" Masons. The term "clandestine" is used to describe such people.

As soon as the listening sessions began, Masons who had never heard more than a casual mention of the Grand Lodge of England and even then couldn’t have cared less, were suddenly concerned with the Grand Lodge of England and Prince Hall Masonry’s lineage to it. To some, it appeared impossible that an August body such as the Grand Lodge of England would have any connection with a group of blacks across the Atlantic most of whom at the time were slaves. This doubt became certainty and an all-out effort developed to brush aside any talk of recognizing this "clandestine" bunch, Those against recognition rallied behind their new battle flag.

I had gotten to the lodge early and was sitting in my car waiting for someone to open the door when a car pulled in beside me. It was Mark Tate, a grey haired man about sixty who had just retired from the railroad. As soon as he parked he jumped into my car. "Have you heard about all that’s going on?" he asked.

I knew what he meant but decided to act as if I didn’t. "What are you talking about?"

"That crowd in Raleigh is getting ready to throw the doors open to the Niggers. I’m surprised you don’t know anything about it."

"Oh, you’re talking about Prince Hall recognition. Yea, I was there when Mills announced it. I know about that."

"Well, way I understand it, they had a meeting in New Bern last week and those boys gave them a piece of their minds. Told ‘em how stupid the whole idea was. I can’t believe they even brought it up."

"I really don’t see what’s the big deal. All they’re wanting to do is recognize them," I said.

"I don’t know where you got your information but that’s not what I heard. Way I heard it, they want us to merge with ‘em. Want us to take ‘em in like real Masons. My god. I can’t believe they’re even asking us for such a thing. Them people ain’t even real Masons. They’re clandestine. I don’t know about you, but I swore an oath not to have anything to do with nobody clandestine. I ain’t breaking my oath for nobody, ‘specially that crowd in Raleigh."

"Mark, Mark, Mark, cool your jets. No one is asking anyone to merge with anybody. No one is asking for anything but to recognize them."

"Well, what the hell you think recognize means?"

"The same thing it always has. It just to say we accept them as Masons... not one thing more. Not a Grand Lodge session has gone by that we didn’t recognize somebody. It’s done every session. It’s no big thing."

"David, we’re talking about Niggers."

I chuckled. "Mark, what do you think is in the Bahamas, and Kenya, and half the countries in Africa?"

"Niggers, I guess, but what’s that got to do with anything?"

"We have recognized half of them. And, they got full recognition. Any one of those guys from the Bahamas or Africa can walk into any one of our lodges and be legal."

"I didn’t know that, but it don’t matter. Those places are a thousand miles away. Ain’t none of them coming here to go to no lodge. Them Prince Halls are right here. They can walk in any time if we let ‘em. It ain’t the same."

"You’re barking up the wrong tree. Nobody’s asking for visitation. All anybody wants to do is recognize them. Like I said, it’s no big deal."

I knew he was wrong, but for some of the Masons it was a big deal. It would mark the end of the largest all-white organization in North Carolina. It was becoming even clearer than he had imagined, and those against it weren’t going to take it laying down.

The two of us sat there for a while and talked about Duke and Carolina, but my mind wasn’t on college teams, I was wondering how long I wanted to stay a member of a lodge that each day seemed more like a Klan Klavern.

As 1998 progressed, the animosity between those supporting recognition of Prince Hall Masonry and those against grew. Letters were sent to and published in the North Carolina Mason and the Tarheel Mason’s list on the Internet became totally hostile with name calling of every form and description. The recognition issue had been called devisive, and it was living up to its reputation.

Letters, Internet posts and conversations flew about the pending legislation. Some bordered on hate as is seen in this letter to the North Carolina Mason.

MOST WORSHIPFUL BROTHER

YOU STATED THAT YOU "WILL NOT TOLERATE"

SITUATIONS THAT YOU EQUATE

WITH RACISM. YET THE CODE OF THE

GRAND LODGE OF North Carolina CLEARLY

STATES, " IT MUST BE LEFT WITH THE

MEMBERS OF THE CRAFT TO DETERMINE

WHETHER OR NOT… A BROTHER IS BRING

REPROACH UPON MASONRY BY HIS CONDUCT,

AND THEREBY IS, OR IS NOT,

GUILTY OF UNMASONIC CONDUCT. A

MASONIC OFFENSE IS... A VIOLATION OF

THE LAWS, USAGES, AND CUSTOMS OF

MASONRY. MOST WORSHIPFUL BROTHER

HAS NO AUTHORITY WHATSOEVER

TO DECIDE WHAT WILL OR WILL

NOT BE TOLERATED IN THE LODGES OF

NORTH CAROLINA,

SO LONG AS THE PRACTICES

OF A LODGE CONFORMS TO THE

ANCIENT LANDMARKS OF MASONRY AND

THE LAWS, USAGES AND CUSTOMS OF

MASONRY. IT APPEARS THAT BROTHER

WISHES TO CHANGE THE ANCIENT

CUSTOMS OF MASONRY, BUT

DOESN’T HAVE THE INTEGRITY OR THE

COURAGE TO SAY SO OPENLY. INSTEAD,

HE TRIES TO MAKE US FEEL GUILTY FOR

CONTINUING TO PRACTICE MASONRY AS

WE ALWAYS HAVE. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN VIOLATING THOSE LAWS,

USAGES, AND CUSTOMS ONESELF, AND ATTEMPTING

TO PERSUADE THE ENTIRE

GRAND LODGE OF NORTH CAROLINA TO

VIOLATE THEM?

MOST WORSHIPFUL BROTHER

ALSO STATES THAT "A BLACK MASON

FROM A LODGE RECOGNIZED BY OUR

GRAND LODGE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO

VISIT A LODGE HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA".

YES, HE DOES - UNLESS A MEMBER

OBJECTS. THE CODE CLEARLY STATES

THAT A MEMBER OF A LODGE HAS A

RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THE PRESENCE OR

THE ADMISSION OF A VISITING MASON,

THAT THIS IS A PERSONAL RIGHT AND

MAY BE COMMUNICATED PRIVATELY TO

THE MASTER OF THAT LODGE, THAT THE

MASTER SHOULD GIVE PREFERENCE IN

THIS MATTER TO THE WISHES OF THE

MEMBER OVER THE WISHES OF A VISITING

MASON, THAT THE VISITOR CANNOT

AS A RIGHT DEMAND THE NAME OF THE

OBJECTOR OR THE GROUNDS OF HIS OBJECTION,

AND THAT EVEN THE MASTER

OF THE LODGE CANNOT REQUIRE THE

MEMBER TO GIVE HIS REASONS FOR OBJECTING

TO THE PRESENCE OF A VISITING

MASON, NOR MAY THE MEMBER BE

DISCIPLINED FOR OBJECTING. THE CODE

MAKES NO PROVISION WHATSOEVER FOR

A GRAND MASTER TO JUDGE A BROTHER

MASON IN THIS MATTER, OR FOR A GRAND

MASTER TO DECIDE FOR HIMSELF WHAT

THE MEMBER’S REASONS ARE. SINCE THE

CODE FORBIDS THE GRAND MASTER

FROM QUESTIONING THE MEMBERS

WHO’S VOTES AND OBJECTIONS HE

DOESN’T LIKE, HE GUESSES AT SOMETHING

HE HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING

ABOUT. AND NO WAY AS A MASON, OR

AS A GRAND MASTER TO OBJECT TO, AND

CAUSES HIS GUESSES TO BE PUBLISHED

IN THE NORTH CAROLINA MASON. CONFIDENTIALITY,

SECRECY, AND SELF-DETERMINATION

ARE IMPORTANT PARTS

OF MASONRY. REGARDING CONFIDENTIALITY

AND SELF DETERMINATION IN

SECRET BALLOTS THE CODE SAYS, "THE

INTENTION OF THIS REGULATION IS TO

PRESERVE TO THE LODGE AND THE CRAFT

THE FULL BENEFITS OF A SECRET BALLOT.

EACH MEMBER VOTING IS THE SOLE

JUDGE OF WHAT HIS VOTE SHALL BE,

AND HE SHALL NOT BE QUESTIONED

THEREFORE OR ON ACCOUNT THEREOF."

CLEARLY, THIS IS THE REAL HEART OF

THE MATTER: MOST WORSHIPFUL

BROTHER WANTS MORE POWER

OVER HIS BROTHER MASONS, AND HE IS

WILLING TO VIOLATE THE CODE, CONSTITUTION,

AND RIGHTS OF EVERY MASON,

TO CAUSE DISHARMONY, ENCOURAGE

CONTROVERSY, AND EVEN COMMIT

MASONIC OFFENSES TO OBTAIN THAT

POWER. WHEN A BROTHER IS WILLING

TO IGNORE THE LAWS, USAGES, AND CUSTOMS

OF MASONRY, AND CAUSE DISHARMONY

AND CONTROVERSY WITHIN THE

CRAFT AS WELL, IS HE REALLY A MASON?

IF I CALL MYSELF A HINDU BUT

EAT ROAST BEEF EVERY SUNDAY AND

ENCOURAGE OTHER HINDUS TO DO SO,

AM I REALLY A HINDU? IF I CALL MYSELF

A DALLAS COWBOY BUT GIVE THE

BALL TO A PITTSBURG STEELER IN A

GAME, AM I REALLY A DALLAS COWBOY?

NOT FOR LONG, YOU CAN BET. MOST

WORSHIPFUL BROTHER STATES

THAT HE "WAS FIRST MADE A MASON IN

HIS HEART", AND SOME OF US WONDER

WHEN HE HAD HIS MASONIC HEART REPLACED

WITH A PROFANE HEART. IF WE

ALLOW THE GRAND MASTER TO THROW

AWAY THIS MASONIC LAW, WHAT WILL

HE TRY NEXT? SHALL WE THEN ADMIT

WOMEN INTO THE LODGE? I’M SURE THAT

THE GREAT ARCHITECT OF THE UNIVERSE

WOULD CONSIDER NO OBJECTION BASED

ON SEX. JESUS TOLD THE PHARISEES THAT

THIEVES AND PROSTITUTES WOULD GET

INTO THE KINDOM OF HEAVEN BEFORE

THE PHARISEES WOULD. SHALL WE ADMIT

THIEVES AND PROSTITUTES INTO THE

LODGES? EITHER A MAN ACCEPTS THE

ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED PRACTICES AND

CUSTOMS OF MASONRY OR HE DOESN’T.

LETS NOT PRACTICE DECEIT WITH EACH

OTHER BROTHERS. A MAN OF INTEGRITY

WILL EITHER ACCEPT THE LAWS AND

CUSTOMS OF MASONRY, OR HE NEEDS

TO ADMIT THAT HE DOES NOT ACCEPT

THEM AND HE SHOULD THEN GET OUT

OF THE CRAFT!

By Brother Allen James

.

Such letters became common. In a discussion forum on the Internet names, accusations, and outward hostility flew. Brothers threatened resignation almost daily. Unsigned letters became unbelievably hostile until the moderator banned them and refused to allow unsigned letters to be published. Name calling became common in the lodges and numerous officers who had spent years progressing through the offices of the lodges were lost elections because of simple comments they made indicating they might be in favor of recognition.

Rank within the fraternity was no indication of position. Well respected Past Grand Masters openly spoke out against recognition or anything that may promote it. The entire fraternity in North Carolina appeared in disarray.

Numerous attacks were made on the editor of the North Carolina Mason who came out openly in support of the recognition issue even though he did not hesitate to publish letters condemning him and recognition.

Numerous letters condemning Prince Hall recognition began to appear in the NC Mason such as this one entitled From a Lodge Newsletter

It is the consensus of this lodge that [Prince

Hall recognition] is not acceptable and direct

attack on what we as Masons taught to believe

and understand. In talking with masters and

brothers from other lodges across the region,

this is a very hot topic and I have found no one

in support of such a move. In my personal

opinion this is a politically motivated move to

appease the critics at the expense of our obligations

and trust and should not be allowed to

succeed.

Misinformation, innuendos and outright lies circulated about the issue. In th November/December issue of the NC Mason a half-page item appeared trying to clear the air.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Prince Hall Masonry

The Grand Master has brought to the attention of

the Committee on Masonic Education that information

is sorely needed by the membership to review in

determining their answer regarding the proposed

amendment to recognize the Prince Hall Grand Lodge.

Please share this with your members. The enclosed

material DOES NOT take a position for or against the

proposal, rather it provides some answers to some

common questions about Prince Hall Masonry in order

that the Craft may make a more informed decision.

The decision to recognize any other Masonic

body needs to be based on facts.

As you likely know, the Prince Hall Task Force

(PHTF) has been holding listening sessions in September

at regional locations to gather information on

the concerns and feelings of all the lodges regarding

this issue. It is also our understanding that PHTF will

provide additional information following these sessions

and a recommendation prior to the Annual Communication

in April.

Sincerely and Fraternally,

Chairman, Committee on Masonic Education

1. Where did Prince Hall Masonry come from?

A full history of Prince Hall Masonry is outside the

scope of this brief pamphlet, but will be better addressed

in a later communication from this committee or the

Prince Hall Task Force.

Briefly, Prince Hall was a free black man who, along

with 14 other black men in Boston, was initiated by a

British army lodge in 1774. They were given permission

to meet as African Lodge 459 by the Grand Lodge of

England. Over time, the men lost touch with their grand

lodge and began, as many other Masonic bodies of the

time (including lodges in North Carolina) to practice

their Craft without benefit of grand lodge affiliation.

They were contacted by other black free citizens of

the time who wished to be Masons. Prince Hall and his

Masonic Brothers extended their knowledge to other

states outside Massachusetts. They eventually gathered

as a group and formed their own grand lodges.

The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Carolina,

chartered in 1870, is descended from these bodies.

2. Has the Prince Hall Grand Lodge asked for recognition?

No. The national trend toward recognizing Prince

Hall Grand Lodges is widely known. In 1990 the Grand

Lodge of Connecticut recognized their resident Prince

Hall counterpart. Other states began to follow suit. In

1996, after lengthy investigation and consideration, the

United Grand Lodge of England pronounced Prince Hall

Masonry regular. Since 1990, 28 United States and most

Canadian Provinces have granted some form of recognition

to Prince Hall grand lodges in their jurisdiction.

Most of the recognitions are full and unconditional. The

progression made it a natural topic among Masons in

North Carolina.

3. Why is the recognition of Prince Hall being considered by

our Grand Lodge?

A proposal was submitted by Hominy 491 of Candler.

They were joined by Hiram 40 of Raleigh and

Doric 568 of New Bern. Any proposal submitted by a

subordinate lodge must be considered at the next Annual

Communication.

4. If approved will they become a part of the Grand Lodge of

North Carolina?

No. They would have no more influence than any

other grand jurisdiction we recognize.

5. What relationship will they have with our charities?

None. The rules for recommending a resident at our

homes in Greensboro or Oxford will not change. Only a

lodge operating under the Grand Lodge of North Carolina

can make such a recommendation. For example, a

Mason from the Grand Lodge of South Carolina residing

in this state is not eligible to enter our Masonic and

Eastern Star Home. Nor would a member of Prince Hall

Grand Lodge be eligible. Neither would we gain any

control of their charities.

6. Are we merging with Prince Hall?

No. If recognition is extended and reciprocated, then

it is like the recognition given to, for example, the Grand

Lodge of Virginia. Both the Prince Hall Grand Lodge

and our Grand Lodge would remain sovereign over the

lodges each maintains in our state.

7. Is Prince Hall Masonry regular or clandestine?

Clandestine and regular are terms long bandied

about by academics and legal minds. They will argue

the definitions of these terms for ages to come. In the

real world clandestine means unrecognized, recognized

means regular. Having fraternal relations makes

a grand lodge regular.

In your obligation, you made promises about discussions

you may have with clandestine Masons. Your

obligation dealt with the recognitions of your jurisdiction.

Those are dependent on circumstances of the

times. We may have recognized the Grand Lodge of

Cuba when you were made a Mason, but you are not

now allowed to communicate about the secrets of

Masonry with its members. We may have regarded the

Grand Lodge of Senegal as clandestine when you

became a Mason, but you may now visit their lodges

since our 1998 recognition of them.

Should we recognize the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of

North Carolina, they would no longer be clandestine —

they would be regular.

8. Is our formation any more or less regular than Prince Hall

Masonry?

No. The Grand Lodge of North Carolina declared

itself in 1787 from lodges already operating in North

Carolina. Following the war with England, these lodges

operated without a central body. The Prince Hall Grand

Lodge of North Carolina was chartered by the Prince

Hall Grand Lodge of New York in 1870.

9. Do Prince Hall Masons memorize a catechism?

The Prince Hall Grand Secretary of NC reports that

they require memory work and return proficiency. Their

candidates must learn the first and second degree before

advancing. They do not permit more than one degree in

a day, nor all three degrees in less than 30 days.

5. What relationship will they have with our charities?

None. The rules for recommending a resident at our

homes in Greensboro or Oxford will not change. Only a

lodge operating under the Grand Lodge of North Carolina

can make such a recommendation. For example, a

Mason from the Grand Lodge of South Carolina residing

in this state is not eligible to enter our Masonic and

Eastern Star Home. Nor would a member of Prince Hall

Grand Lodge be eligible. Neither would we gain any

control of their charities.

6. Are we merging with Prince Hall?

No. If recognition is extended and reciprocated, then

it is like the recognition given to, for example, the Grand

Lodge of Virginia. Both the Prince Hall Grand Lodge

and our Grand Lodge would remain sovereign over the

lodges each maintains in our state.

7. Is Prince Hall Masonry regular or clandestine?

Clandestine and regular are terms long bandied

about by academics and legal minds. They will argue

the definitions of these terms for ages to come. In the

real world clandestine means unrecognized, recognized

means regular. Having fraternal relations makes

a grand lodge regular.

In your obligation, you made promises about discussions

you may have with clandestine Masons. Your

obligation dealt with the recognitions of your jurisdiction.

Those are dependent on circumstances of the

times. We may have recognized the Grand Lodge of

Cuba when you were made a Mason, but you are not

now allowed to communicate about the secrets of

Masonry with its members. We may have regarded the

Grand Lodge of Senegal as clandestine when you

became a Mason, but you may now visit their lodges

since our 1998 recognition of them.

Should we recognize the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of

North Carolina, they would no longer be clandestine —

they would be regular.

8. Is our formation any more or less regular than Prince Hall

Masonry?

No. The Grand Lodge of North Carolina declared

itself in 1787 from lodges already operating in North

Carolina. Following the war with England, these lodges

operated without a central body. The Prince Hall Grand

Lodge of North Carolina was chartered by the Prince

Hall Grand Lodge of New York in 1870.

9. Do Prince Hall Masons memorize a catechism?

The Prince Hall Grand Secretary of NC reports that

they require memory work and return proficiency. Their

candidates must learn the first and second degree before

advancing. They do not permit more than one degree in

a day, nor all three degrees in less than 30 days.

10. What are their fees and dues?

Their fees for the degrees average about $65, with

lodge dues ranging from $25 to $100.

11. Are our Grand Lodge Officers pressing for Prince Hall

recognition?

The GL Officers did not initiate the proposed change.

One local lodge submitted the resolution, and was subsequently

joined by the two other lodges. Once submitted,

it must be brought before the GL of NC at our next

Annual Communication. Considering the importance,

passion, and diversity of opinions regarding this subject,

a task force was appointed to collect information,

share information, and make recommendations for and

to the Masons of the state. Grand Master Thomas W.

has announced his support of the recognition of

the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Carolina.

12. What if we extend recognition and they do not reciprocate?

Nothing. Nothing can happen until an agreement between

the Grand Lodges is reached.

13. If the delegates vote to approve recognition, does that

mean Prince Hall Masons could visit my lodge?

While no compact has been negotiated, if full recognition

were granted, Prince Hall members would qualify

to visit a lodge of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina.

For those of us who supported recognition the constant barrage of what we considered ignorance was overwhelming. Though we knew the voices we heard were actually a minority, the vote against the Board of Custodians had shown that the feeling might indeed be the majority.

This statement of verified facts was followed up with another letter of opinion. Please notice the capitol letters. Again, the writer is screaming.

IT SEEMS TO ME AFTER READING THE

LATEST ISSUE OF MY NORTH CAROLINA

MASON, THAT ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE EITHER

ON DOPE OR DOG FOOD. FIRST OFF

IF THE PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO BE MASONS

SUPPORT THIS TELL THEM TO COME

WORK WITH ME FOR ONE WEEK AND I

WILL SHOW THEM WHAT A BUNCH OF

BLACKS CAN DO TO AN ORGANIZATION.

THEY WILL DESTROY THIS ORGANIZATION.

THAT IS A FACT OF LIFE. THERE IS

ALOT OF GOOD MEN IN MY LODGE, AND

WE WORK TO HARD NOT TO SEE IT GO

DOWN THE TOLIET LIKE ALL THESE OTHER

IDOITS. SECOND, IT SEEMS TO ME FROM

READING THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PAGE, ITS LIKE NO ONE IS GAINING

NOTHING BY PUSHING THIS SUBJECT. I

KNOW A FEW BLACK MASONS (SO CALLED

MASONS) WHO ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THIS

NEITHER. THEY SAY WHAT ME AND ALOT

OF OTHERS ARE SAYING LEAVE IT ALONE.

IF THEY DONT WANT TO CHANGE AND

WE DONT WANT TO CHANGE THEN BY

GOD LET IT BE. I AM A YOUNG MASON,

JUST ABOUT TWO YEARS IN. I AM TWENTY

SEVEN GOING ON NINETY SEVEN AND I

HOPE TO BE A MASON THEN AND FOR

EVER. JUST REMBER THEY WILL DESTROY

US, CAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY TEARING

US APART. THIS IS NOT WORTH US FIGHTING

FOR .WE NEED TO FOCUS ON OTHER

THINGS, LIKE HELPING ARE CHILDEREN

AND SUPPORTING OUR LODGES. I LOVE

FREE MASONARY THE WAY IT IS, LETS

KEEP IT THE WAY ITS BEEN FOR ALL THIS

TIME.

In April of 1999 the first report was issues on the Task Force

Although the review of the audio tapes is

not complete, the following results were reported

from straw votes at the informal lodge

meetings:

Lodges for 25 (6.5%)

Lodges against 169 (43.9%)

Lodges taking no position 64 (16.6%)

Lodges not participating 127 (32.9%)

The booklet containing lodge responses to

the Prince Hall Recognition Resolution was

promised to each of the 384 lodges in NC by

Dec. 1, 1998. In response to some 22 lodges

requesting that the booklet not be made available

to so many persons, Grand Master Gregory

decided that only the Task Force members

and a few designated persons would be

provided a copy. One copy of the booklet will

be available at the Grand Lodge office in Raleigh

for review by any of our members.

Recommendations and further actions from

the Task Force will be forthcoming, after

appropriate meetings have been held by the

Task Force.

As disappointing and hurtful as the Listening sessions were, they were still a good predictor of how the good... white... Masons of North Carolina felt. At the Grand Lodge meeting that year the vote against recognizing Prince Hall was totally one sided.

At the same Grand Lodge meeting a young attorney from eastern North Carolina was elected Grand Master. Brian Phelps came to the position with an agenda and one of the main features of that agenda was to get Prince Hall Masonry recognized as the reality it was.

The man had no fear, or reluctance, to offend anyone. At his District Meetings he delivered a resounding message based on his legal background: Masons swore to look at the interior of a man and not his exterior. Therefore, a Mason couldn’t be a racist... regardless of his reasoning.

This attitude left many white Masons squirming. The Grand Master simply wasn’t going to hear a racist’s attempts for explaining why he would deny a Prince Hall Mason because of skin color.

When the new Grand Master agreed to a joint ceremony with Prince Hall Masons tempers flared.

Charlotte — Masons will play yet another part in the history of this, North Carolina’s largest city, this November. The Hezakiah Alexander house, built in 1774, has long been a center of life, tradition, democracy, and some say Freemasonry in Charlotte. On its grounds in October, the new Charlotte Museum of History will open. On November 5, our Grand Lodge will lay the cornerstone for Charlotte’s American Freedom Bell. The 7.5-ton bronze bell will find its permanent home in a special pavilion at the museum, near the Alexander home. It has been touted as Charlotte’s counterpart to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

The ceremony is scheduled for 4:30 P. M., Friday, November 5. Officials have also invited the Prince Hall Grand Lodge to participate in the event. You’re all invited to what promises to be one of the most important public Masonic events in years.

The Mecklenburg Declaration, signed in 1775, was a precursor to the Declaration of Independence. The bell is a monument to the spirit and philosophy of those 27 men who signed that document. Many of them were Masons. We hope to see you there as we complete the circle remembering our Brothers of 200 years ago and their spark that helped ignite our democracy.

Subject: Prince Hall issue

Sir:

It is with sadness and disgust

that I feel the need to send this

correspondence, but after having

read the most recent issue of "The

North Carolina Mason" I cannot in

good conscience not respond.

You mentioned things such as

"un-Masonic conduct, learning to

control and subdue our passions

and prejudices, and our brethren

comprising the entire human species."

On page 2, in the bottom left

corner, is an article entitled "Prince

Hall Recognitions Increasing."

It is my feeling, sir, that one cannot

truly talk of loving their families

or their children until one is prepared

to acknowledge that there

are enemies who would destroy

them, whether purposely or not, by

destroying such things as their culture,

and denying them access to

their history, or rewriting it so that

generations to follow, in effect, have

no history.

Like it or not, the roots

of a people start with their race,

then proceed in a line down to their

extended families and families. Considering

that the black race is responsible

for crime, destruction and

receiving taxpayer funded government

handouts far out of proportion

to their representation in our

society, I find it abominable that it

is the goal of so many of you to

have them involved in our Lodges.

How do you arrive at the notion

that they are "our brethren"? I, sir,

have no black "brethren". We have

had to lower the standards in our

education systems, and develop all

sorts of programs, hand outs, legalized

theft, etc. just to try to assimilate

them into our society. The

NAACP and all sorts of other black

racist groups are allowed to permeate

their lies and filth, with the

help of their Jewish lawyers, with

no cries of racism. We have become

a bunch of gutless wonders,

but deny it and say that it is "subduing

our passions and prejudices."

I think this whole thing is a money

issue, with the money changers

seeing all those dollars that they

can’t get ahold of.

I’ll be honest

with you. It is late and I am not

intentionally rambling, but I am on

the verge of leaving Freemasonry

forever if this issue continues like

it is. Why don’t you just come right

out and say that you want blacks in

the lodges? You’re not fooling anyone

with platitudes about "friendship

and brotherly love" towards

those who are causing us immeasurable

harm. I can imagine a country

much stronger with much more

good will and very little crime or

other related problems if there

weren’t any blacks here. Is a man

expected to abandon common sense

and true love to his family and friends

when he becomes a Mason? Burying

your head in the sand while

citing parts of the oath and applying

them to blacks will not change

the truth!! And I suspect that you

can fill your lodges with your "black

brethren", but at a price — you will

see very many men leave those

lodges, men that you are counting

on just to sit back and accept it!!!!

Our ancestors would turn over in

their graves at the travesty that

you are perpetrating!!

Prudence demands that I remain:

Anonymous

A half-page of pictures and articles about the joint dedication of Charlotte’s Freedom Bell in the NC Mason brought the racists out of the woodwork. The first sight of black and white faces together in a Masonic program let some know that what was coming was real, and it wasn’t that far away.

At my lodge’s monthly supper, Tallon Trask motioned for me to join him in the lobby. "Logan, this shit is real isn’t it?" he asked almost whispering.

"Which shit is that Tallon?" I knew exactly what he was talking about, but by now it was a game.

"That Nigger thing. They gonna’ force them Niggers down our throats in spite of Hell, ain’t they?" It was refreshing that he didn’t shout his question so that everyone else could hear him. I had to wonder why? And wonder had someone else talked to him?

"Tallon, I don’t know who you think ‘they’ are. I hope I’m part of theat ‘they’ you’re talking about."

"I’m talking about that Grand Lodge crowd," he said in a slur.

"Tallon, I’m a part of that Grand Lodge crowd, as you call them, and damn proud of it."

"Okay, then I’ll ask you, damn it. Why are you people trying to cram those damn Niggers down our throats?"

I paused for a moment. I wanted to be at least Masonic about my answer.

"Tallon, you remember in our First Degree lecture when the man said that "Masonry regarded the internal and not the external of a man? You remember that?"

"Yea, but know as well as I do that they weren’t talking about no Niggers."

"Well, who the hell do you think they were talking about, Tallon? They were talking about everyone. Don’t you remember the word ‘mankind’? That’s everyone... Niggers, as you call them too."

He was quiet. Had I hit a nerve?

"Nobody’s trying to shove anything down anybody’s throat. All anyone is asking you to do is do what you’ve already promised... no, sworn, to do. That’s all."

Tallon didn’t say a thing. It was almost scary. I wasn’t stupid. A sentence or two doesn’t change a racists’ mind. Yet, he was being quiet. Why?

"This stuff is serious, ain’t it?" he asked in the same whisper.

"Serious as a heart attack."

Again, Tallon was quiet. Good or bad , I didn’t know, but the guy was thinking.

"Logan, I love Masonry as much as anybody. Masonry’s a good thing. It’s a part of my life. But, it’s changing. It’s changing big time. And I don’t know how to handle it."

For the first time, I almost felt sorry for him... almost.

"No, Tallon, Masonry isn’t changing. It’s been the same for three hundred years. It’s just that people like you tried to make it the way you wanted to see it. Not the way it really was."

I was at the Grand Lodge building in Raleigh for the year’s first meeting of the Masonic Education committee. I went into the editor of the NC Mason’s office and we sat for a chat. I knew he had been beaten to death because of his support for Prince Hall recognition. We had been friends for a long time and I figured about now he needed a friend.

"Boy," I said, "you’ve caught hell haven’t you?"

"Yea, but I knew it was going to be that way from the beginning. I guess anything worthwhile is rough... and I this is worthwhile. Maybe I’m a fool, but that’s the way I feel."

"Oh, I agree with you, but sometime don’t you just want to say screw it and move on to something else?"

"Maybe, but then I remember how much I love this fraternity and what it stands for. When I think of that I figure what the hell? Am I going to let a few rednecks take it away? Then... it becomes something worth fighting for."

"Yea," I said. "I see what you mean. I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn’t know it was going to be this bad."

"There," he said, "I’ve got an advantage. I’m from the coast. Down there we’ve got people still fighting the Civil War... at least in their heads. They haven’t accepted that the South has lost."

"I’ll agree," I said. "You got some doozies down there."

"It was the way they were raised. To them anything that’s not white is a Nigger and can’t be trusted. In a way I can’t blame them. Some of them have been crapped on all their lives. They’re poor, half uneducated and ... whatever. They’ve got to blame somebody. They can’t blame Mama. They won’t blame Papa and one thing is damn sure... they won’t blame themselves. Which, by all rights is where the blame should fall. No, they got to blame somebody and for generations it’s been the Blacks. Now, we’re telling them we want the Blacks in our lodges. I can halfway see how they feel, but that doesn’t make it right. That doesn’t make it right at all."

All through his year, Grand Master Mitchell had asked for change and also return. He wanted us to change by becoming more visible to the community and less of the "secret organization" we were said to be. And, he wanted us to polish-up our act by returning to the days when Masons dressed for their meetings as they would for church. Little was said about becoming more visible, most members agreed with the concept. But, the idea of dressing-up for meetings struck a bare nerve.

Most North Carolina Masons are blue-collar workers and the idea of a coat and tie, or even just a coat, is entirely foreign to their lifestyle. Many of the lodges long ago abandoned a dress code. In some lodges the coat and tie was replaced by pants and a shirt and, in some lodges, just a tee-shirt was became common. Any negative comment was quickly defended by the rationale of "that’s what I wear to work and I come to lodge from work". For some of us, and definitely the Grand Master, such a dress code was unforgivable. The same group who took offense at Grand Master Mitchell’s stand on supporting recognition of Prince Hall Masonry took offense on Mitchell’s stand on a dress code. And, the 2000 Annual Communication was their opportunity to make their feelings known.

Dozens of the delegates to the meeting came wearing blue jeans and tee shirts. Although the designs on the tee shirts were varied, many of the tee shirts were emblazoned with Confederate flags. There was no question as to the wearer’s intent.

With the exception of those dressed like they were attending a Klan picnic, the communication itself was relatively civil. As the event proceeded, there were a few more boos and negative comments than usual about anything that could be construed as supporting the Recognition issue, but most of the ones against recognition were somewhat restrained. When the vote to share jurisdiction came, it was a sound two to one defeat. Cheers greeted the announcement.

I had spoken to Rick Parson, but this was his busy time. In addition to being the editor of the NC Mason, he was also assistant Grand Secretary, so I knew I wouldn’t see much of him. But, when the vote was announced I saw him in the distance absolutely glowing. I was confused.

Later, he walked by where I was sitting, I cornered him.

"Why were you grinning like a Cheshire cat when they announced the vote? Don’t you know... we lost again?"

"No, we didn’t," he said.

"Am I missing something?" I asked. "It sounded like..."

"Dude, we won. Think about it. Last year’s vote was four to one against. This year, it was two to one against. All that crap we’ve been doing is paying off. We doubled what we did last year."

Rick was right. In one year, we had doubled what we had done.

Though the vote on Prince Hall held center stage at the meeting, other decisions would change the events of the next few years. Grand Master Mitchell was a firebrand. He was verbal about his support for Prince Hall recognition and equally verbal about his desire to make other changes in the fraternity. But, the man who replaced him was the exact opposite.

Lars Eldridge was the personification of the word gentle. If he ever made a statement in support of Prince Hall recognition or a statement critical of anything I can’t remember it. Every word he spoke and every paragraph he wrote seemed to be designed NOT to offend anyone. Yet, his time would be short.

At the same communication, it was decided to change the annual meeting from April to September. This meant that Grand Master Eldridge’s term would be short. Though Eldridge was a likeable man, those of us pushing for Prince Hall recognition knew it would not come under his watch. To so many, the thought of granting any form of equality to a group of Blacks was offensive. And, Grand Master Eldridge made it a point not to offend anyone.

But, we didn’t worry. In the wings, the next Grand Master, would be Albert Mimms, another attorney and with the exception of being from the other end of the state, similar to Mitchell. He knew no fear and would go headlong against anything he considered non-Masonic.

Those six months passed quickly and though we knew Eldridge was a good man and a wonderful Mason, those of us crying for support of the Prince Hall issue needed what was to come... Albert Mimms. We had no doubt that he was going to do things that had never been done and force things that had never been forced. He was verbal about Prince Hall recognition not only being the right thing to do, but being the only thing to do. Yet, those opposed to Prince Hall were still there and still strong We didn’t know how strong until the following September.

The business for the year had actually been concluded at the April meeting. Our first September meeting was to be little more than a handful of formalities, elect Mimms Grand Master and go home. Great, but it didn’t work that way. When it came time for the election everything seemed normal until the ballots for Grand Master were counted. Mimms fell twenty-two votes short of what was needed for election. In a subsequent vote he faired no better. Speeches and hand wringing of various degrees followed, but in the end... Mimms lost. The hero of our movement into the twentieth century was defeated.

I actually dreaded going to my next lodge supper because I didn’t know how Mimms’ defeat would be viewed those in the lodge. I was sure Tallon Trask would be revived, but I didn’t know how many others the defeat would drag out of the woodwork. But, actually I was surprised. The event was mentioned, but it was more in passing that the blast I had expected. The most surprising was Tallon Trask. He said nothing. He greeted me when I sat down, but other than that, was totally quiet.

We hated to see our flag-bearer defeated, but the man who was ultimately elected was far from a slouch to our cause. Unlike Mimms, who would advertise his feelings to anyone who listened, Bill Brantly had been rather quiet. In his inaugural address he asked the question, "When you say Masonry, do you mean Masonic lodges that are fortresses for bigots and braggarts?" and followed up with his commitment to take us into the twenty-first century. In his first column in the Mason.

I Called Rick at the Grand Lodge after I got my issue of the paper. "We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?" I asked.

"Yep, Brantly fooled them all. They figured since he was from the coast he probably had a white sheet and hood in his closet. They couldn’t have been any wronger."

"Wronger," I chuckled. "Is wronger a word?"

"It is for this. This guy is intelligent and sharp. He’s not the loser they want."

"Where does that put us?" I asked.

"I say full steam ahead. You get that committee of yours geared up and throw another set of Prince Hall lessons out this summer and in the paper. You can have as much space as you need."

"Is it safe to assume there’s going to be some more black faces in the paper?"

"You said that. I didn’t."

I knew him well enough to know that he was grinning when he said it.

"By the way," he said. "Brantley is creating a commission on fraternal relations."

"Great, what’s that? I responded."

"He has found some of the highest power Masons in the state th be on this commission and study this thing."

"High power," I asked. "Who are they?"

"Just wait until it comes out. You’re not going to believe it."

"I was curious who would be on the commission, but I also knew there were lots of high-power Masons from which to choose.

I wouldn’t have to wait long. The March/April issue had the announcement as the headline article.

In The News

Greensboro — North Carolina

Freemasonry’s most difficult problem now

has an all-star team pursuing answers.

Grand Master Brantley’s Commission

on Fraternal Relations, the highest

powered group gathered by the Grand

Lodge in many years, has been charged to

redefine our Grand Lodge’s relationship

with the North Carolina Prince Hall Grand

Lodge. On the commission is a past Governor,

a past chief of staff in the US Congress, a past

NC Attorney General and a current Federal Court

Judge. The Commission is being chaired by a past

NC Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Since talk began about recognizing the

Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Carolina,

a top criticism of the movement has been

that the details of the proposed relationship

were not clear. Grand Master Brantley and

North Carolina Prince Hall Grand Master

Marvin Willis decided that a joint committee

could best develop those details.

Willis is likewise appointing a four man

commission to work with Brantley’s appointed

group. The AF & AM group held its

first meeting in Greensboro March 23. They

were charged by Grand Master Brantley to

"promote harmonious relations" and present

an acceptable proposal for "reciprocal recognition"

between the two organizations.

The first joint meeting has yet to be set. At

press time, the names of the Prince Hall

appointments were not available.

The day the paper came out was the same day as our lodge meeting. I was running late and went straight from work to the lodge. When I walked in the door I was greeted by Adam Fields who is usually a rather mild type. "Logan, Trask tells me you’re a part of this crap, and I can’t believe it."

"What are you talking about, Adam?" I asked totally taken off guard.

"That task force that Nigger loving Grand Master of ours put together."

"I’ve heard something about it, but obviously you know more than I do."

"It was in that claprag I. We got it today. "You ain’t seen it?"

"No, I came straight from...."

"Hell," he reached across the table and grabbed a copy of the paper. "They got governors and senators and supreme court judges and everything but God on the thing. I can’t believe it. Read it!"

Part of what Fields said was true. The Grand Master had put Past Governor Saunders, a past chief of staff in the US Congress, a past attorney general and a couple of supreme court justices on the commission. Rick had been right. This was a high-power group.

"Whatcha’ think of it? You see what they’re doing? They’re real about this stuff. They’re gonna’ throw the doors wide open for them Niggers."

Field’s naivety floored me. Where had he been for the past two years? "Adam, why are you so surprised. This thing has been going on for two years. Where were you? This isn’t anything new."

"No, maybe not, but I just thought it was a handful of pinky-assed liberals making some noise. But these people is dead serious."

"I’ve been trying to tell you. It’s coming. It’s right. And, it’s coming," I said.

I was still in wonder at Tallon Trask. He had said nothing.

Up until that point, all the conversation about Prince Hall recognition had been dinner-time chatter. Yes, some of it had been serious, but it was still dinner-time chatter. But, that night, Fields continued his rage into the meeting itself. Since it was a form of politics, a total no-no.

Fields stood and was acknowledged by the Master. "I don’t know who saw it, but there was an article in the NC Mason today about this Prince Hall thing. Brothers, this thing is getting way out of hand. When they start appointing governors and... I don’t know what all to these committees, it ain’t just conversation. And, I want to know what we can do about it."

The Master was quiet for a time then spoke. "Brother Fields, I hesitate to discuss this in the lodge because, no matter how you cut it, it’s politics. And, we don’t discuss politics or religion in the lodge. But, since this is an emotional issue. Some of you who haven’t said a word have talked to me about it. I believe we should discuss it... a little."

The Master looked at me. "Brother Logan, I believe you are on the Grand Lodge Education Committee. How would you answer Brother Fields’ question? What can we do about it?"

"Master, the Grand Lodge has sponsored listening sessions and the Education Committee had programs on this throughout the state last year. There’s been something in the paper every time it came out. And now, it appears nobody knew anything about it."

The Master nodded and motioned for me to continue.

"First thing, no one has proposed that we merge with Prince Hall. That’s never been mentioned. Second, we’re not throwing the doors open for anyone. All that’s asked is that we recognize them as Masons... real Masons. That’s all."

Someone blurted, "But they aren’t real Masons. Coloreds can’t be real Masons. I been in Masonry for over thirty years and I heard that since the beginning."

"Well, they can. Every year, the Grand Lodge recognizes some grand lodge in Africa, in the Bahamas, somewhere that’s predominately Black. We recognize Blacks all the time. The only difference with Prince Hall is they don’t live ten thousand miles away."

There was total silence in the lodge. I waited a minute then spoke. "Gentlemen, Brothers, there’s nothing drastic about recognizing Prince Hall. In their community these men are the best of the best. If a man has gone to prison and served his time, we’ll take him as a member. They won’t. There’s a lot of other things we’ll do, they won’t. And, to answer Brother Fields’ question... what can you do about it? Truthfully, nothing. The train has left the station and it’s headed for the twenty-first century. But, what everyone in this lodge needs to do is find out what it means... the truth. My suggestion is you go to one of the Masonic Education seminars this summer. Write down your questions... bring them. But guys, leave the crap about one race being inferior to another at home. That just doesn’t work any more."

I could feel a few hateful stares when I sat down, but somehow what I had said was good. I saw Tallon Trask pass a glance at me, but his face didn’t betray how he was feeling.

Later, when I got home, I called Rick. "I stepped square into it tonight, Bro."

He laughed. He knew why. "There’s an old thing about the power of things in print. That’s why I didn’t tell you. I wanted you to get the same impact."

"Well... it worked."

I told him about the events at the lodge.

"I’m not surprised," he said. "Some of these people think it’s all a big joke. It isn’t real. Oh hell... the loudmouths are yelling, but that’s what they do. That’s not the ones we need to worry about. We need to worry about the quiet ones. They’ve got a vote too."

"Guess I know what the summer sessions need to be about."

"Yea, I guess you do, but I believe they’ll be a bit better attended than in the past. I believe they’ll be a whole lot better attended," Rick said with absolute certainty.