Prince Hall Recognition
It is well past time
The Grand Lodge of Washington first recognized our Prince Hall Brothers in 1897. The reaction of foreign Grand Lodges was swift and vicious. Recognition of us, as Masons, was very widely pulled, and we were left standing alone.
Due to this widespread loss of recognition our Grand Lodge was forced to rescind its decision shortly afterwards.
It was not until 1990 that the MW Grand Lodge of Washington and the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington and Jurisdiction were finally allowed by the rest of the Masonic world to be joined in mutual recognition.
Since that time, Prince Hall recognition has become the norm within the United States. Only a small handful of southern Grand Lodges still refuse to recognize their Prince Hall counterparts.
When I made myself available for Junior Grand Warden I was interviewed on video by Seattle’s Daylight Lodge. I made it clear in that interview, which remains available online, that it was my view that the Grand Lodge of Washington should no longer recognize any United States Grand Lodge that still refuses to recognize its Prince Hall counterpart.
My feelings have not changed.
By recognizing as legitimate those Jurisdictions that refuse to recognize their Prince Hall counterparts, the Grand Lodge of Washington, through its silence, gives its consent to an ongoing moral wrong. It stands silent as a discrimination that should have been done away with in 1897 continues in a small handful of states.
This was wrong in 1897, it is wrong today, and if we don’t do something about it, it will be wrong next year as well.
It is well past time that the Jurisdictions that do recognize their Prince Hall counterparts take positive action standing up for that which is right, and good, and moral.
Roughly one year ago, I wrote the following article outlining my views on this subject. They have not changed from then to now. I do not yet know how the Grand Lodge of Washington will move forward in addressing this moral imperative, but move forward we will.
I was asked by one of Washington’s most respected Freemasons to repost the below article here, and given the gravity of the issue, I am pleased to meet his request.
That Which Can Not Be Defended
July 28, 2020
In 1897 the Grand Lodge of Washington, at it's Annual Communication, and following the leadership of RW William H. Upton took the first small step towards recognition of Prince Hall Masonry within this Grand Jurisdiction.
As a result of that step, Grand Lodges around the country moved to pull recognition from our Grand Lodge. Many old Proceedings from Grand Jurisdictions are available online, I've read some of those from the time, and the things that were said about the GL of Washington and its decision were truly horrible.
In the words of Grand Master Upton himself: “The comity and consideration for the opinions of others shown by the Washington committee and Grand Lodge were neither appreciated nor reciprocated. During the year, in a number of Grand Lodges, the position of this Grand Lodge has been savagely attacked, often in language disgraceful to Masonry. Men whose utterances fail to disclose even a superficial acquaintance with either the history or the law of the subject, have presumed to sit as judges in condemnation of this Grand Lodge; and Grand Lodges have usurped a supervisory power over our actions which, if acquiesced in, means not only the destruction of the sovereignty of this Grand Lodge, but the end of that principle of self-government among Masons which has been claimed as a cornerstone of our Institution since the dawn of its history.”
Eventually the Grand Lodge of Washington decided that its position was impossible. Masons from Washington were no longer recognized as such by our neighbors, and as such the decision of our Grand Lodge was untenable. We relented to the unreasonable, and unmasonic pressure put upon us by the rest of the Masonic world.
Our Grand Master never stopped advocating for recognition, and was always held in very high esteem by the Freemasons of Washington. In fact we have a Lodge named after him to this day.
Despite that fact however, and despite the wishes of the Masons of Washington, The MW Grand Lodge of Washington and the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington and Jurisdiction were not joined in mutual recognition until 1990. When the rest of the Masonic world would finally allow us to take this step without destroying us.
In 1991 a marker was finally laid on Grand Master Upton's grave. Something he declared that he did not want to happen until it could be laid by members of both Grand Lodges. His dream had finally been realized.
Tomorrow the Masonic funeral of our Brother and Congressman John Lewis will take place. The service will be performed by the members of his Home Lodge in Georgia.
Specifically, his Prince Hall Lodge.
To be clear, the MW Grand Lodge of Georgia continues to refuse to recognize the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia.
In the words of our Brother Chris Hodapp of Freemasons for Dummies fame: “In May of 2008, then-Grand Master Akram Elias of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia honored John Lewis for his lifelong commitment to civil rights. This ceremony took place as part of the 9th World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges at the Renaissance Washington D.C. Hotel. It is no small irony that Lewis' own grand lodge, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia, was not then, and is not today, recognized as regular by the 50 U.S. 'mainstream' state grand lodges, including the Grand Lodge of Georgia. Masonic protocol dictated then as now that he could not have accepted GM Elias' presentation in open lodge as a Brother Mason. Nothing has changed in a dozen years. And there's no way to defend that situation any longer.”
Put in plain terms, one of the finest men and Masons of his generation is not recognized as such by the Grand Lodge of Georgia due to the color of his skin.
I think that due to my position I am not supposed to say difficult truths. I am to be measured and calm. Perhaps this post oversteps proper form for an elected Grand Lodge Officer.
Too bad. It is true, and as Freemasons we are charged with finding the truth.
It is absurd that the Grand Lodge of Washington continues to recognize the Grand Lodge of Georgia as a legitimate Masonic body.
The Grand Lodge of Washington should take steps to remove recognition from the Grand Lodge of Georgia, and all other Grand Lodges that do not recognize their legitimate counterparts.
By continuing to recognize the Grand Lodge of Georgia as a legitimate Masonic body we are giving tacit approval to that body's immoral position and rightly open ourselves to condemnation.
I made this view clear prior to my election as Junior Grand Warden when asked about it at a forum held by Daylight Lodge, and given the passing of Brother Lewis I feel it only proper to make it known again now.
Like every Sunday evening, we will have a gathering via zoom for those with a paid subscription to Emeth tonight. It will start at 7:30 PM Pacific, and the email link will go out to paid subscribers at 3:00 PM.
Unlike last Sunday (sorry about that) I won’t be driving over White Pass, returning home from our Annual Communication while the zoom meeting is going on, so I’ll definitely be able to join in the conversation.
I look forward to seeing everyone!
As I close, I would like to give a huge Thank You! To everyone who is a part of Emeth! It certainly would not be possible without you.
If our principles as Masons mean anything, the “separate, but equal” nonsense must end. In today’s world, racism is rampant whether you are African American, Latino, Asian or any one of myriads of ethnicities. As Masons, we should be better. As Masons, we know better.
We should be proud as well as ashamed of how our Grand Lodge conducted itself in the course of history. We should be proud we took the stand we did in 1897 but ashamed that we succumbed to pressure to back down until 1990. Much as the Juneteenth history, it took years for the notion to catch up to reality.
Shame on those southern lodges for not recognizing Prince Hall. Racism has no place in our physical structures as well as in our hearts. We have much to learn from one another without having these despicable barriers.
The late, great Ill. Bro. John Lewis, 33° said, “Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.”
It is time we adhered to this challenge.
Thank you, MW, for your thoughts on this matter. If we are to all ourselves Masons, then we must recognize our Prince Hall Brothers, men who have knelt at the altar of Freemasonry and taken the obligation just as you and I. In times such as we are currently in, when people are divided by what seems to be the minutest of issues, are we not called, as Masons, to do what we can to remove those things that separate us and bring peace and harmony to our lives, communities and country. I support your position and believe that we, the MWGL of Washington, should separate ourselves from any Brother, Lodge or Grand Lodge that maintain a position of separation from our Prince Hall Brothers. To remain silent, and not speak out on this matter, keeps us rooted in a past that