Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision: September 8, 2019
This pancocojams post presents seven videos that show the formal clothing and other regalia of Prince Hall Masons & their female affiliates, the Order Of Eastern Star (PHA).
The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who have been and are now associated with Prince Hall Masons and the Order Of Eastern Star (PHA). Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on Prince Hall Masons and Prince Hall Affiliated Shriners. Click the Prince Hall Masons tag for more posts in this series. Also, click the Prince Hall Shriners tag to view the formal regalia of Prince Hall Shriners.
The song that is sung in this video clip "Lift Every Voice And Sing" is informally considered the African American national anthem.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS:
Example #1: 2012 05 | Prince Hall Freemasons | Memorial Day 2012
North End Waterfront, Published on May 28, 2012
One of the enduring Memorial Day events in Boston's North End is the annual Prince Hall Freemasons Memorial Service at Prince Hall's grave site in Copp's Hill Burying Ground.
Prince Hall (c.1735-1807) was the founder of "Black Freemasonry" in the United States, known today as Prince Hall Freemasonry, and formed the African Grand Lodge where he was Grand Master. He was one of the first abolitionists.
Prince Hall is buried in Copp's Hill Burying Ground in the North End in a marked grave. A monument was erected in 1835 next to the grave. Thousands of African Americans who lived in the colonial North End community at the base of Copp's Hill are buried here, mostly in unmarked graves.
****
Example #2: Prince Hall Masons Parade in DC
Hamil Harris, Published on Jun 25, 2012
The Honorable MacKinon W. Myers, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, talks about the significance of observing the 164th festival of the Holy Saints John that include a parade and church service at the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church.
-snip-
Here's some information about the masonic celebration of Saint John's Day:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John%27s_Day,_Masonic_feast
"Freemasons historically celebrate two feasts of saints who are both named John. The feast of John the Baptist falls on 24 June, and that of John the Evangelist on 27 December, roughly marking mid-summer and mid-winter. During the Eighteenth Century, the Premier Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Ireland favoured the day of John the Baptist, while the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the Antient [sic] Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of All England at York installed their Grand Masters on the feast day of John the Evangelist. The United Grand Lodge of England was formed on 27 December 1813.
John the Baptist
The first Grand Lodge was formed on 24 June the feast day of John the Baptist in 1717.[1] This may arise from a very old tradition, since the Baptist appears to have been regarded as the patron of stonemasons in continental Europe during the Middle Ages. The guild of masons and carpenters attached to Cologne Cathedral was known as the Fraternity of St. John the Baptist.[2] The earliest surviving record of Grand Lodge of Ireland installing a Grand Master is dated to 24 June 1725.[3] As records of individual lodges appear in Ireland and in the Antients' in England, it seems many of them met to install a new master twice a year, on the feast days of both the Baptist and the Evangelist.
John the Evangelist
Further information: John_the_Evangelist § Feast_day
The Evangelist is particularly associated with Scottish lodges. The Lodge of Edinburgh was associated with the aisle of St. John the Evangelist in St. Giles Cathedral from the 15th century."...
****
Example #3: Prince Hall Day 2012 2013
Charles Treadwell, Published on Sep 16, 2013
Here is a video combination of Prince Hall Day 2012 and 2013 together in the State of New Jersey...
****
Example #4: Prince Hall Grand Lodge Pa Blue House Stepping
Twania Stinson, Published on Aug 7, 2014
-snip-
Click the Black church processions tag for more pancocojams posts about this performance style.
****
Example: #5: Presenting The Honorable Milton F Toby Fitch Jr
Bivouac Lodge #503 PHMasons, Published on Sep 6, 2014
The 113th Annual Grand Session_Order of the Eastern Star, the 30th District PHA Masons & others across the State , Presents Grand Master Fitch to the Session
****
Example #6: Prince Hall Day Service 2016
The MWPHGLNJ (Official Channel), Published on Oct 7, 2016
Some scenes from the Prince Hall Day Service dated Sunday September 11th, 2016 at the Ea[s]t Orange Campus High School in New Jersey.
****
Example #7: ALABAMA PRINCE HALL MASONS 52nd ANNIVERSARY SELMA TO MONTGOMERY VOTING RIGHTS MARCH. ( 3/5/17)
Vizsion co, Published on Mar 7, 2017
MWPHGLAL Masons, line up to take part in the 52nd anniversary Selma to Montgomery vote to right march across the Edmund Pettus bridge.
-snip-
I'm not sure what the initials "MWPHGLAL" stand for.
I think "MWPHGL" means "Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge", but I don't know what the other initials mean. Please share that information for the historical record. Thanks!
Here's information about the march across the Edmund Pettus bridge:
From https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/al4.htm
"The Selma-to-Montgomery March for voting rights ended three weeks--and three events--that represented the political and emotional peak of the modern civil rights movement. On "Bloody Sunday," March 7, 1965, some 600 civil rights marchers headed east out of Selma on U.S. Route 80. They got only as far as the Edmund Pettus Bridge six blocks away, where state and local lawmen attacked them with billy clubs and tear gas and drove them back into Selma. Two days later on March 9, Martin Luther King, Jr., led a "symbolic" march to the bridge. Then civil rights leaders sought court protection for a third, full-scale march from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery. Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., weighed the right of mobility against the right to march and ruled in favor of the demonstrators. "The law is clear that the right to petition one's government for the redress of grievances may be exercised in large groups...," said Judge Johnson, "and these rights may be exercised by marching, even along public highways." On Sunday, March 21, about 3,200 marchers set out for Montgomery, walking 12 miles a day and sleeping in fields. By the time they reached the capitol on Thursday, March 25, they were 25,000-strong. Less than five months after the last of the three marches, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965--the best possible redress of grievances."...
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment