The Grand Lodge of Washington first recognized our Prince Hall Brothers in 1897. The reaction of foreign Grand Lodges was swift and vicious. Recognition of us, as Masons, was very widely pulled, and we were left standing alone.
Due to this widespread loss of recognition our Grand Lodge was forced to rescind its decision shortly afterwards.
It was not until 1990 that the MW Grand Lodge of Washington and the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington and Jurisdiction were finally allowed by the rest of the Masonic world to be joined in mutual recognition.
Since that time, Prince Hall recognition has become the norm within the United States. Only a small handful of southern Grand Lodges still refuse to recognize their Prince Hall counterparts.
When I made myself available for Junior Grand Warden I was interviewed on video by Seattle’s Daylight Lodge. I made it clear in that interview, which remains available online, that it was my view that the Grand Lodge of Washington should no longer recognize any United States Grand Lodge that still refuses to recognize its Prince Hall counterpart.
My feelings have not changed.
By recognizing as legitimate those Jurisdictions that refuse to recognize their Prince Hall counterparts, the Grand Lodge of Washington, through its silence, gives its consent to an ongoing moral wrong. It stands silent as a discrimination that should have been done away with in 1897 continues in a small handful of states.
This was wrong in 1897, it is wrong today, and if we don’t do something about it, it will be wrong next year as well.
It is well past time that the Jurisdictions that do recognize their Prince Hall counterparts take positive action standing up for that which is right, and good, and moral.
Roughly one year ago, I wrote the following article outlining my views on this subject. They have not changed from then to now. I do not yet know how the Grand Lodge of Washington will move forward in addressing this moral imperative, but move forward we will.
I was asked by one of Washington’s most respected Freemasons to repost the below article here, and given the gravity of the issue, I am pleased to meet his request.
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