What Happens Now?

Spring through Fall of 2020. What happened? What in the world was going on in America?

So far this year has brought one thing after another. As we slowly overcome the COVID-19 Crisis and many return to work and everyday, normal life, now we come to another Crisis. Across the country protests erupted into riots, and in many places, still continue. In the midst of it all, statues, monuments, government buildings and masonic lodges and temples have been vandalized and destroyed.

The issue of racism has once again sprang to the forefront of the American public. Everyone believes they have the right solution to the problem. Unfortunately, this is not an issue that will disappear over time. Racism has been a struggle in our great country for over 200 years. So what's the answer?

A few weeks ago a Prince Hall brother posted a video on a topic that I would like to reiterate here. For 236 years, Mainstream Masonry and Prince Hall Freemasonry had stood as two separate members of the same family. I would not suggest that both Grand Lodges give up their history to combine. What I am asking is that as brothers, we put differences aside. We forget about skin color. We forget about nationality and backgrounds.

How can we expect our society to put racism behind us, if we still allow it in our local lodges? It may be a hard truth, brothers, but to make a difference in the world around us, change must first begin in ourselves and our lodges.

So, what happens now? Now, we move forward. We accept our brothers for who they are...our brothers. We help our culture move forward by realizing skin color is just that...just a skin color. 'We all bleed the same.'