Series: Say Brother
Program: Black Fraternal Organizations
Episode: 612
Date: 1976-04-18
Subject: African American women; African Americans - Societies, etc.; Freemasonry

Clip Description
Negro Masonry in the United States Program examines the history of Black fraternal organizations and their impact on African American life in America -- in particular Black Masonic lodges and Greek letter organizations. Host Carmen Fields introduces the history of Black fraternal organizations in the United States, and conducts two distinct interviews: one with Arthur Frederick, a 32nd degree mason and author of Negro Masonry in the United States; the other with Mary Stuart Spence, Media Co-chairman for the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Boston Alumnus Chapter, and Edward R. Redd, President of Omega Chi Phi, Iota Eta Pi Chapter, Boston. Conversational emphasis is on the social needs fraternal that organizations fulfill, as well as their service to the community. Program includes a clip of the film Countdown at Kusini, a film Delta Sigma Theta Sorority helped finance. Original air date estimated. (Though viewing copy states the original air date was 4/30/1976, this date conflicts with that of another program). Program had no credits. Produced by Marita Muhammad Rivero. Directed by Conrad White.

Program Description
Negro Masonry in the United States Program examines the history of Black fraternal organizations and their impact on African American life in America -- in particular Black Masonic lodges and Greek letter organizations. Host Carmen Fields introduces the history of Black fraternal organizations in the United States, and conducts two distinct interviews: one with Arthur Frederick, a 32nd degree mason and author of Negro Masonry in the United States; the other with Mary Stuart Spence, Media Co-chairman for the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Boston Alumnus Chapter, and Edward R. Redd, President of Omega Chi Phi, Iota Eta Pi Chapter, Boston. Conversational emphasis is on the social needs fraternal that organizations fulfill, as well as their service to the community. Program includes a clip of the film Countdown at Kusini, a film Delta Sigma Theta Sorority helped finance. Original air date estimated. (Though viewing copy states the original air date was 4/30/1976, this date conflicts with that of another program). Program had no credits. Produced by Marita Muhammad Rivero. Directed by Conrad White.

Series Description
Say Brother is WGBH's longest running public affairs television program by, for and about African Americans, and is now known as Basic Black. Since its inception in 1968, Say Brother has featured the voices of both locally and nationally known African American artists, athletes, performers, politicians, professionals, and writers including: Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Thomas Atkins, Amiri Baraka, Doris Bunte, Julian Bond, Stokely Carmichael, Louis Farrakhan, Nikki Giovanni, Odetta Gordon, Henry Hampton, Benjamin Hooks, Jesse Jackson, Hubie Jones, Mel King, Eartha Kitt, Elma Lewis, Haki Madhubuti, Wallace D. Muhammad, Charles Ogletree, Byron Rushing, Owusu Sadaukai, and Sonia Sanchez.

See also: http://main.wgbh.org/saybrother/programs/sb_0612