Submitted by:  Brother Joseph A. Walkes

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I have recently began reading a book by title Inspired Prophetic Warning by Duane S. Crowther and have been inspired to use his format, style and words. During the last several years, I have been able to write a number of books on Prince Hall Freemasonry and in the process have attempted to use all of my skills as an author as an expression of my love of the fraternity. All of these books that I have written is my way of contributing something of worth towards the betterment of this great Masonic Order.

Through this medium I have sought to warn of difficult times and great loss ahead for Africa-America's only regular Masonic body, which seems to be rapidly approaching. As I have studied the history of our fraternity, I find clear warning of troubles ahead that will be devastating to Prince Hall Freemasonry. It will bring great devastation and desolation to our once great and proud Order.

I approach the events of the future with the understanding of a person who has trained himself primarily as a Masonic historian and a would be scholar. I feel that I have been given some understanding and talent on the subject, and therefore I seek to assess the degree of danger, which confronts Prince Hall Freemasonry.

Those of us who labor within the fraternity find that the G.A.O.T.U. blesses them with talents, then prompts and uses them to fulfill particular responsibilities. If they fail to use the talents He gives them, that it is our fault. I feel therefore that it is appropriate, and I feel prompted, that I express such warnings, and if I do not, that the G.A.O.T.U. might see fit to retract the talent with which He has blessed me.

In any endeavor norms must be set and evaluations conducted before trends and directions of movement can be established. No business can know if it is profitable until it carefully counts its assets and liabilities. No educational system can determine if learning is taking place until valid standards have been established and careful testing has been carried out. We in Freemasonry have written and unwritten laws to guide us. We have Masonic common law that most have no knowledge of. Most of our members have never read a Masonic book in their life, outside of the ritual and many have no knowledge what Freemasonry is all about.

In Allen Muraskins book, Middle Class Blacks in a White Society.' Prince Hall Freemasonry in America, he noted in his classic Chapter on the Problem of Leadership:

Masonry has always seen itself as a unifying and binding force in the Black community. The fraternity has felt that by its ideals and practices it has been able to heal the divisiveness among black groups. Through Masonry's emphasis on respectable public behavior has forced the Order to restrict its work to the black middle class, it has believed itself successful in its efforts both to integrate the diffuse groups that make up the Black bourgeoisie, and to provide individual leaders for that class and for the race generally. To an extent this success has been real....  Nevertheless, Masonry's constructive efforts have had to counteract powerful centrifugal forces, not only within the Black population generally and the Black bourgeoisie specifically, but within its own membership as weft.

There is a struggle between anarchy, authoritarianism, and democracy in the Order, a struggle that reflects the status anxieties of the members and of the Black middle class generally. The anxieties and hostilities underlying the conflict are generated by the contradictions inherent in being Black in a racist society.

Backbiting, envy, and jealousy are not traits restricted to any race of people. They are found universally. It cannot be proved that African-Americans have suffered from them more than other ethnic groups, however, Blacks have believed that they have, and in that belief has lain an element of self-fulfilling prophecy.

There seems to be a tendency for Prince Hall Freemasonry to feast upon itself. There are those because of their ego and pride that allows themselves to be drawn into continuous backbiting, gossiping, tale-bearing and generally disharmony. There seems to be those who because of ego and pride would destroy the fraternity to get their way. There seems to be a tendency within our Order toward rebellion and leadership autocracy. Events in Texas and Arkansas are a good example.

I believe that there is a blessing; that there are a few members within Freemasonry who write about Masonic history on their own, who are able to say a lot of things that Freemasonry will not say officially. There is a place, and an important place, for writings other than the rituals and proceedings issued by the various Jurisdictions in its official capacity. The writing of individual members throughout the history of Freemasonry illustrates this quite well. Such works finds its own level. Many of these works are of great value.

There are always self-appointed critics. Certainly my books will always receive scrutiny by those who will oppose anything that I write, and the warnings that I often issue. I of course only ask that their evaluation be honest, and that it be made with care and with a desire for the ultimate well being of this great fraternity. Be there criticism or not, the message must go forth.

We must stop feasting on each other. There is too much work that needs to be done to keep the fraternity afloat. We must always remember there are roughly ten clandestine, bogus or non-Prince Hall groups claiming to be Masonic, across the country, which challenges us at every level. This alone should stop us from tearing into each other, individuals against individuals, jurisdictions against jurisdictions.

I have seen a once mighty Prince Hall Grand Lodge almost destroy itself through political misconduct to remove one Grand Master from office, stooping to a degree of calculated misconduct that was criminal in nature, manipulating its members to deprive them of there constitutional right to a free and untainted election. I have seen one individual blinded by his ego and a blind rage that borders almost on insanity attempt to destroy another jurisdiction because his feelings and pride was hurt. Of men and mice with no regards to the damage that their action was causing Prince Hall Freemasonry in general.

I am presently seeing the Prince Hall Shrine once again considering pulling out of Freemasonry. They being forced into this radical departure because of some dressed in brief authority who feels that they have a god-giving right to interfere and control that private incorporated body. Though the courts have told them that they cannot do that, yet through their ignorance, they demand the right to run roughshod over this organization that has done so much to highlight Prince Hall Freemasonry.

On and on it goes, and the question is when will it stop. When will we begin to focus our energies on saving our institution, and working out solutions that will benefit Prince Hall Freemasonry itself?