Blaine C. Clay Lodge # 14

Bros,

     I've been doing a lot of research and reading as of late on the same ole Masonic argument, why is there no recognition between PHA lodges and so called mainstream lodges? It’s a good question and from my perspective it's easy to answer. We live in the south and it "is what it is", right? Racism is alive and well in the "Bible Belt" and it's always comical to me that the former confederacy always tries to stand on their Christian and Masonic morals and dogmas but end up being hypocrites. Anyone who has ever heard of the Bible will tell you that tolerance and love are two of the biggest teachings of the religion. The Old Testament teaches an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, which is interesting to me because in all realism mainstream lodges can’t use this argument.  They have attacked us! In the New Testament Jesus Christ teaches to turn the other cheek, which we as PHA, seem to do all the time.

     I always remind people when I talk to them that I have only been traveling for a short time. In my line of work I talk with a bunch of different people from a lot of different places. One engineer noticed me by the Perfect Points of my Entrance, so he says. He is AF&AM from North Carolina and is a 32* Scottish rite mason. He fully recognized me as a Mason with a handshake and a word. He is an older gentleman and like me a fairly new traveler.

     While I do honor my obligation, of course, and I understand that I can’t masonically converse with this cat, we did have a conversation. We both expressed mutual admiration for each other and wished each other the best.  However I still feel like he felt that by recognizing me, he was showing compassion, like he had just done me a favor or something.  This sense of superiority appears to be pretty common unfortunately.

     I’ve said all of this to ask this question, do we even want or desire recognition by the white lodges?

I have read repeatedly that the mainstream lodges consider the PHA lodges to be clandestine. Just recently the mainstream lodges of the north have began Masonic relations with our Prince Hall lodges and everybody has that warm and cozy feeling about it. The south, however, does not and apparently will not, view PHA lodges as anything more than clandestine masons. So our plight in the south is one that will not change and I don’t really care!

     When I look at the rich tradition that is Prince Hall Masonry I feel that we don’t need to feel “accepted” by anyone other than ourselves. We have a legal charter from the UGLE that states that we are legit to work and that is good enough for me and should be good enough for anyone else. Looking back at what Prince Hall and his brothers went through, and then look at what they ultimately achieved, I don’t see how anyone wouldn’t want to preserve this history. Yet some Bros. that I’ve talked to say the Prince Hall Masonry has served its purpose. I talked to this one black “mainstream “F&AM and he compared PHA to affirmative action. According to him we should let those lodges absorb our lodges and become one big family. Of course this would be at our expense since we would lose everything and they would gain control of us. He was concerned that I would view him as an Uncle Tom, well…

     I am no racist and for me it isn’t about race. It’s about right versus wrong, future versus legacy. We have our own thing and it demands respect and I know that we require no one’s approval. So to answer my own question I say it doesn’t matter whether we are recognized or not by “them”. They don’t have to like it, but PHA Masonry is here to stay. We have swagger, we have style, and we are doing it our way.  What do you think?

So Mote it Be