The Historic African Lodge: A Milestone in Masonic Equality

July 3rd, 1776 On this date, Brother Prince Hall, the first African American initiated in the United States, formally organized the historic African Lodge in Boston, marking a turning point in Masonry and the history of civil rights. The journey began on March 6, 1775, when Prince Hall and 14 men of color were initiated as Masons in Lodge #441 of the Irish Registry, attached to the 38th Regiment of British Infantry at Castle William Island, Boston Harbor. This was the first time black men were accepted as Masons in America . When the Revolutionary War broke out, the British regiment departed Boston, taking their lodge with them. Before leaving, Worshipful Master Batt granted Hall and his brethren a limited permit to meet, bury their dead, and march in procession on St. John's Day, but not to conduct full Masonic work or initiate new member. With this permit, on July 3, 1776, the African Lodge was established, with...