Hidden in Plain Sight: African American Secret Societies and Black Freemasonry

Abstract

The churches and the fraternal/mutual aid societies formed the core of black communities during the latter part of the eighteenth century. These institutions served as the staging ground for reform and protest organizations and were the foundation of the social and economic structure of black society. They were central to an African American sense of identity. Because there were few opportunities for blacks to participate in the wider society; political, social, and educational goals found an outlet in the institutions of the black community. These organizations became extremely important because they provided their members with mutual aid and protection, whether it was religious, cultural, social, recreational, physical, economic, or political.