Celebrating 20 years of recognition

Today, I divert from the series of articles on the theme of "the 21st Century Mason" to look at something else more important.

Twenty years ago, events were put in motion that would change the shape of American Freemasonry in particular, as well as having a profound effecton regular Freemasonry across the world.

On the 29th March 1989, the Grand Lodge of Connecticut started a process that drew as much praise as it did criticism - it started to make moves towards recognising its Prince Hall counterpart. For those who are unaware, American Freemasonry in general used to be segregated, and most states have two Grand Lodges - the Grand Lodge of X, and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of X. The latter being almost exclusively for black men. Of course, this has changed now in most places, thanks to the events that began almost 20 years ago.

When the Grand Lodge of Connecticut first proposed this concept of mutual recognition, there were several concerns that needed addressing. The first of these was that of a merger - something that neither party wanted, as both Grand Lodges had their own, distinct character. The next concern was that of members leaving one Grand Lodge and going to the other. The result was to allow dual membership between them, but not to allow demitting. 

Indeed, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut (MWPHGLC, for short) had issues of its own, mostly relating from its counterparts in other states, and it came under fire from some Prince Hall Grand Lodges, for "having sold out to the white man". The MWPHGLC responded to these accusations by reminding other Grand Lodges that they were sovereign, and had the right to recognise any Grand Lodge that they saw fit to do so.

The MWPHGLC accepted the GLoC's hand of recognition on 14th October 1989, and so CT became the first state to have mutual recognition between its two Grand Lodges. Fast-forward twenty years, and forty-one American Grand Lodges have voted to extend recognition to their Prince Hall counterparts. It is believed that thirty-seven of these have full recognition between the two Grand Lodges, and the remaining four have recognition without visitation. There are still ten US Grand Lodges that have not moved in the direction of recognition, but I am of the firm belief that time will change this.

My own Grand Lodge, the United Grand Lodge of England, made its first moves towards Prince Hall recognition almost fifteen years ago, when it recognised the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts on 14th December 1994. As of this date (28th January 2009), the UGLE recognises twenty-seven Prince Hall Grand Lodges, and I am of the firm belief that this number will also increase with time.

So, my congratulations to the two Grand Lodges concerned in Connecticut as they approach this landmark of twenty years, particularly as it was they who set the ball rolling.