What is Freemasonry?

Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest and most respected fraternal organizations, dedicated to the principles of brotherhood, morality, charity, truth, and personal improvement. Through fellowship, education, and service, Freemasonry encourages men to build strong character, strengthen their communities, and uphold the values of integrity, faith, and justice.

The organization uses symbols and traditions derived from ancient stonemasons to teach moral lessons and leadership principles. Its teachings are communicated through ceremonies, allegories, and the study of symbolic tools that remind members to live honorable lives and serve humanity. Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion, but it does encourage every Mason to practice faith, morality, and respect toward all people.

Prince Hall Freemasonry traces its origins to Prince Hall and fourteen other free Black men who were initiated into Freemasonry in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 6, 1775. During a time when African Americans faced exclusion from many institutions, Prince Hall Freemasonry became a powerful force for leadership, education, economic advancement, and community uplift within Black America. Prince Hall and his fellow masons established lodges that emphasized dignity, self-determination, mutual aid, and civic responsibility.

As African Americans migrated and established communities throughout the United States following the Civil War, Prince Hall Freemasonry expanded into the South and the Western frontier. In Texas, Prince Hall Masonry began taking root during the early 1870s through the efforts of Black veterans, ministers, educators, laborers, and community leaders who sought to establish fraternal institutions grounded in brotherhood and racial uplift during Reconstruction.