Racial Integration Between Mainstream Shriners & Prince Hall Shriners

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision: September 4, 2019

This is Part II of a two part series on Prince Hall Masons And Prince Hall Shriners.

Part II presents excerpts about some similarities and differences between Prince Hall Shriners and mainstream Shriners, with particular attention to the historical and contemporary racial composition of those two fraternal organizations.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/09/general-information-about-prince-hall.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents general historical information about Prince Hall Masons and presents historical information and other general information about Prince Hall Shriners (A.E.A.O.N.M.S).

Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-significant-influence-of-prince.html for a closely related pancocojams post entitled "The Significant Influence Of Prince Hall Masons Upon African American Culture: Excerpt Of Article "Martin Luther King Jr & The Freemasons" "

This series is subtitled "for African Americans and other people in the general public" to emphasize that Prince Hall Masons and Prince Hall Shriners are significant (but usually overlooked) parts of African American history and culture.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Prince Hall for his cultural legacy and thanks to all who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who have been and are now associated with Prince Hall Shriners.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/prince-hall-shriners-tradition-of.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Prince Hall Shriners' Tradition Of "Riding" (Performing Processional Versions Of The Camel Walk Dance)"

Click the Prince Hall Shriners tag for additional pancocojams posts about this predominately African American organization.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S DISCLAIMER
I have no affiliation with the Prince Hall Masons's female auxiliary "The Eastern Star" or with the Prince Hall Shriners' female auxiliary "The Daughters of Isis". Nor do I have any affiliation or direct/indirect contact with any other Mason or Shriners organizations.

I'm revisiting this subject [after posting videos in this blog in 2017 of Prince Hall Shriners "riding"] because of my continued cultural interest in historically Black Greek letter organizations. [I'm a long ago inactive member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.] I strongly believe that Masons and Prince Hall Masons/Prince Hall Shriners in particular have heavily influenced some of the strolling performance styles of historically Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs), and other cultural features of some BGLOs, including the sphinx symbolism that is a part of the oldest BGLO, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, and the use of the term "crossed the burning sands" to refer to having become a full member of a historically Black Greek letter fraternity or sorority.

My latest pancocojams series on BLGOs provides information and comments about non-Black People in those historically Black Greek letter organizations (Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/08/non-blacks-in-historically-black-greek.html for Part I of that series.). This prompted me to search online for information about racial composition in Mason and Shriner organizations. Although I found some articles on that subject, I realized that I had to go back and clarify the differences between "mainstream" Masons and Prince Hall Masons, the differences between Masons and Shriners, and the differences between mainstream Shriners and Prince Hall Shriners. This resulted in this two part pancocojams series.

All material presented in this pancocojams series is gleaned from the internet.

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ARTICLE EXCERPTS ABOUT RACIAL INTEGRATION BETWEEN MAINSTREAM SHRINERS AND PRINCE HALL SHRINERS
These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Excerpt #1
[This excerpt is about Prince Hall Masons. To quote the author of https://www.shrinersinternational.org/Shriners/MasonShriners/Masons presented in Part I of this series, "All Shriners are Masons, but not all Masons are Shriners."]

From https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/prince-hall-masons-1784/
"The Prince Hall Masons are the oldest and largest group of Masons of African origin in the world. Today there are forty Grand Lodges of Prince Hall Freemasonry in the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, and Liberia. These Grand Lodges preside over more than 5,000 lodges. All of them claim descent from the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts which is traced back to the African Lodge No. 459.

[...]

Due to prevalent racism and segregation in North America, it was impossible for African Americans to join most mainstream Masonic lodges until the late 20th century. Yet, because Prince Hall Mason lodges were African American, North American Grand Lodges denounced Prince Hall Lodges and Prince Hall Masons, deeming them illegitimate and refusing to recognize their authority. Until 1865 most Prince Hall lodges were in the North, but after the Civil War, black Masonry quickly spread across the South, often led by Northern-born Masons who became active in Reconstruction politics.

From Reconstruction until 1900, Prince Hall Masonry remained a highly prestigious but small fraternity. In the early twentieth century the membership rapidly expanded, lessening its exclusivity. Although all Masonic Lodges today are theoretically racially integrated, white Grand Lodges in Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and West Virginia still do not recognize Prince Hall Grand Lodge members as legitimate Masons. Nonetheless, the Prince Hall Masons include tens of thousands of black and some non-black members throughout the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, and Liberia."
-snip-
A longer excerpt of this article is given in Part I of this pancocojams post. The link for that post is given above.

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Excerpt #2
From http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2009/12/black-shriners-meet-in-tampa-for.html
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Black Shriners Will Meet in Tampa For Convention
“Like the more than two centuries of separation between black and white Freemasons, the appendant Masonic organizations followed the same path. The historically black Prince Hall Affiliated Shriners are the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine, and are headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. While they have contributed to the historically white Shriners Hospitals over the years, they are not officially part of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, now known as Shriners International, based in Tampa, Florida. A year ago, the AEAONMS began a partnership with the American Diabetic Association as their predominant charity.

The Prince Hall Shriners are headed to Tampa for their annual Imperial Session next year. In August 2010 an estimated 15,000 members are expected.

From an article today in the St. Petersburg times by Amanda Zayas:

In 1872, for fun and charity, the white Masons started a fraternity called the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The black Masons formed their own Shrine group in 1893, the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order. Both groups referred to their chapters as "temples." Both called their leader "imperial potentate."

They coexisted, sometimes in the same cities, for at least two decades. But then, the lawsuits began. In 1914, a white Georgia lodge tried to bar a black lodge from imitating its name, constitution titles, emblems and regalia. The same then happened in Arkansas. When a white Houston group sued its local black counterpart in 1918, the case expanded to include Shriner groups throughout the United States and landed in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The legal battle lasted more than a decade.

On June 3, 1929, the Supreme Court concluded that even though the black Shriners formed their group out of imitation, the white Shriners knew about the group's existence and didn't take legal action for years.

In fact, evidence showed that the white groups sold their paraphernalia to black groups for ceremonial use. The black Shriners were not trying to pass themselves off as white Shriners and it was too late for the whites to claim the symbols as exclusively theirs. The black Shriners celebrate this decision every year. They call it the Jubilee Day.

Eighty years later, Tampa's historically-black Harram Temple has no white members. The spokesman for the local historically-white Egypt Shrine doesn't think his group has any black members. Both groups say they would welcome a member of the other race.

The racial divide happens naturally, not by exclusion, says Hillsborough County Judge Eric R. Myers, an officer in the black Shriners group. Think of college fraternities and sororities. Think of sons following in their fathers' footsteps.

"Think about it across the board in a lot of organizations," he says. "Churches — come on, let's be real."

Myers, who is slated to become the chief of the worldwide black Shriners group in eight years, said he was in charge of the local temple in 1995 when he met a member with the white Shriners temple.

"Nobody had ever really talked to one another," Myers said.

The white Shriners invited the black Shriners to their circus, and the tradition has continued ever since. The black Shriners are also nationwide contributors to Shriners Hospitals, the major philanthropy of the historically-white group.

Eight years ago, the worldwide leaders of the white Shriners invited the leaders of the black group to their headquarters to trade ideas about attracting members and working together, remembers Jack Jones, imperial potentate for the historically-white group. That meeting concluded with an agreement that members of both groups could visit each others' temples throughout the organizations.

"We do have good discourse with them," Jones says. "They work toward the betterment of mankind as well as we do."

There are no serious discussions to fuse the two. What would happen to all those guys in line to become imperial potentate?

"If you come together," said Warren Spears, spokesman for the worldwide black Shriners, "that means somebody's going to be on the short end."

Expect to see much of what you saw three years ago in Tampa starting on Aug. 13 and lasting approximately a week. The city will be covered with red fezzes.

The Daughters of Isis, the female counterpart to the black Shriners, will celebrate its 100th anniversary here during the convention. They're all planning service projects. Ybor City's Seventh Avenue will make way for a huge parade.

And one of those days, maybe, the leaders of the black Shriners will visit the historically-white Shriners headquarters in Tampa to trade ideas again.

The white Shriners say they plan to extend an invitation.

[...]

Selected comments from this article:
Moose, December 30, 2009 3:54 PM
"I'm so disheartened to see that the old Prejudiced still is present in this day and age regarding skin color within lodge. I'm happy to see that some states are "recognizing" prince hall lodges, but cant we all just meld together and practice Masonry together? I live in California and I know SEVERAL Afro-American brothers who are in lodge with me who are either in line or are WM. I have no fear of any brother of any race creed or color. My heart is Masonic and all I have seen has been the Lights."

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Reply
Tommy Desmond, November 26, 2010 11:39 AM
"Yes, in Detroit we have black guys in our Lodges (non-PH) and we all have a great time together... Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite and York... along with asians, indians and even *gasp* CANADIANS! OMG! Lol"

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Excerpt #3:
From https://onnidan1.com/forum/index.php?topic=54407.0 Shriners still mostly segregated by choice
[re-published by] Brother Tony, August 08, 2011, 05:20:20 PM
"City, area tourism officials hope to lure primarily White organization to Daytona Beach for 2017 convention
BY JAMES HARPER
DAYTONA TIMES
"Imagine thousands of White men parading down A1A, intoxicated, wearing funny hats, with some dancing in the streets.

"That’s probably what you will see," said Illustrious Potentate Noble John Ranglin about the International Shriners if the Daytona Beach area tourist officials and city leaders are successful in luring members here for their 2017 convention.

The scene described is not unusual in this area, especially during the Daytona 500 weekend, Bike Week, Spring Break and NASCAR Racing that occurs during the Fourth of July weekend.

Ranglin, a Black Shriner, is not a member of the International organization, whose membership is mostly White. Ranglin is a member of the Ancient City Temple No. 63 located in Daytona Beach. It’s part of the historically Black Prince Hall Affiliated Shriners, headquartered in Memphis, Tenn.

While they have contributed to the historically White Shriners Hospitals over the years, the Prince Hall Shriners are not officially part of Shriners International, based in Tampa.

In 1872, the White Masons started a fraternity called the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The Black Masons formed its own Shrine group in 1893, the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order. Both groups referred to their chapters as "temples." Both called their leader the "imperial potentate."

‘It’s about power’

Even though at one time, Blacks were not allowed to become members of the International Shriners, times have changed and the two organizations exist for different reasons besides color.

"It’s about power. In order for us to come together, one has to surrender to the other. There’s room for only one grand master. Power has been taken away from us (Blacks) too many times over the years. We’re segregated but not racist," Ranglin explained.

Ranglin says the local Black group is planning a hospitality dance on Sept. 2 and a ball on Sept. 3 at the Daytona Beach Hilton, where hundreds are expected to attend. The fundraising event is open to the public.

He added, "We want our funds to stamp out crime, drugs, health issues that affect community. That also continues to keep us separate.

[...]

When the Shriners were started in America, most Blacks were slaves and the logic, according to White members at that time, was in order to be freemasons you had to be free men.

Also, in order to be a member of the organization, there had to be a unanimous vote by its members, therefore it was difficult for Blacks to join the group.

Who was Prince Hall?

Prince Hall, who was Black, born in 1735, was an abolitionist and a leader of the free Black community in Boston.

Hall tried to gain New England’s enslaved and free Blacks a place in some of the most crucial spheres of society – freemasonry, education and the military.

He is considered the founder of "Black Freemasonry" in the United States, known today as Prince Hall Freemasonry.

Hall formed the African Grand Lodge of North America and was unanimously elected its Grand Master and served until his death in 1807.

Both sides have Blacks and Whites

Ranglin, who lives in Deltona, said though the local group is based out of Daytona Beach, the Prince Hall group meets in Ormond.

He said the organization is working to start Shriners clubs in Palm Coast and Ocala.

Ranglin said the organization does not discriminate based on color when inviting men to join the group, which includes Whites and other races.

"I was a grand officer for International Shriners," said Ranglin until he realized there was another brand of masonry – Prince Hall in 1990.

"Both sides have both races. There are no longer barriers. Within the last 20 years, there has been mutual respect, more so in the last five years," he explained.

The Times attempted to reach a spokesman for International Shriners but did not get a response by deadline.”...
-snip-
A sentence in that article excerpt helped answer a question I have had since doing online research on this subject: With regard to Masons, "PHA" probably means = "Prince Hall Affiliated".

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Excerpt #4
From https://www.reddit.com/r/Shriners/comments/1b6hdd/are_there_black_shriners/
Posted byu/hankypinky, 2013
"Are there black Shriners?
Is the organization segregated as many of the State Grand Lodges are?

Should it be?"

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Beezelbubba, 2013
"We have several Nobles at my Temple that happen to be black, there is also a separate institution for the PH Brothers if thats the route they want to go
Its not segregated in MOST states, there are only like 7 Grand Lodges that do not recognize the PH Lodges, and they are all below the Mason-Dixon line under the excuse that PH was improperly chartered from the GLE, GLE has came out and stated this is not the case and that PH is regular and is properly chartered by them."

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defjamblaster, 2013
"short answer: yes, it's segregated. just like each grand lodge, and all the houses in masonry. there are Prince Hall Shriners, who were once sued by the "mainstream" Shriners to try to stop them from being Shriners. that being said, i don't think there's anything today that prohibits membership of any race other than perhaps voters. here's our Prince Hall site http://www.aeaonms.org.

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series on Prince Hall Masons And Prince Hall Shriners.

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