Thursday, December 4, 2008

Prince Hall Monument Approved

Image:Prince Hall grave.jpg

(Pictured above: Prince Hall's grave at Cobb's Hill)

According to the Boston Globe, the city of Cambridge will be honoring Prince Hall with a monument. E. Denise Simmons, the mayor of Cambridge, had, in the past, offered the name of Prince Hall as a possibility for a street name. Now, she has succeeded in honoring the founder of Prince Hall masonry with a monument. Currently, the city is taking design ideas for the monument which will have a final price tag of $100,000. It is the city's hope to place the monument this time next year.

 

I was extremely struck by what the mayor hopes to see represented by the monument. According to records of speeches by Prince Hall, he mentioned his desire "to extend the hand of fellowship"; in like manner, the statue will hold out his hand in this gesture. I think what the city of Cambridge has undertaken is truly laudable. We should recognize the work that Prince Hall accomplished in helping Freemasonry spread among historically unrepresented minorities.

 

As it has been reported recently, the Grand Lodge of North Carolina has extended its hand to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina and both now recognize each other. While there are brothers with legitimate concerns regarding recognition amongst PHA Grand Lodges and mainstream Grand Lodges, I think that these events are a start in bringing together those smaller points of light so that Freemasonry can shine as a beacon to the world.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now the Konspiracy Kooks™ will tell us this is another example of how Freemasons Rule the World (and assorted city councils). They'll probably be drawing triangles from the statue and adding up numbers to 33 to find "proof" to their mind-addled theories.

This statue is such a wonderful idea and the symbolism is so apt, whether one is a Mason or not, that it should have been erected earlier. At least, the symbol of brotherly love and friendship that's intended. The fact no one is there to grasp his hand could also easily symbolise something far more insidious.

Justa

Raymond Sean Walters said...

Yes, I think you raise a valid point in that any negative that can be put on a positive will certainly happen.