The fraternal tradition of freemasonry[1] in North America began as a predominately White organization between the 16th and 17th century. Today, many African Americans belong to a group of Masons named after abolitionist Prince Hall[2], who is known as the Father of Black Freemasonry, and on this day, he and 14 other African Americans were initiated as Masons in 1775. Hall, born in 1735, rose to prominence as a politically active abolitionist and activist who fought for the protection of free Blacks in the North from kidnappers and traders from the South. Other accounts also say that Hall petitioned for African Americans to return back to their native continent. Hall was also involved in fighting for equal treatment of Black schoolchildren in comparison to their White counterparts. Serving as an educator himself, Hall’s contributions to the improvement of African Americans and their living conditions are v ...
