GBH Openvault

Say Brother; Black Fraternal Organizations; Negro Masonry in the United States

Part of Say Brother.

04/18/1976

In this clip host Carmen Fields interviews Arthur Frederick, a 32nd degree mason and author of Negro Masonry in the United States, about the means by which masons progress through the ranks towards being a 33rd degree mason - the highest accolade in the Masonic order. Overall the 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.


License Clip
Series
Say Brother
Program
Black Fraternal Organizations
Program Number

612

Title

Negro Masonry in the United States

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, Babatunde Olatunji, Byron Rushing, Owusu Sadaukai, and Sonia Sanchez. Series release date: 7/15/1968

Program Description

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.

Asset Type

Clip

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Prince Hall Masonic Lodge (Boston, Mass.)
Freemasonry
Spence, Mary Stuart
Frederick, Arthur
Civil rights
Redd, Edward R.
African Americans--Societies, etc.
Segregation
Hall, Prince
Genres
Magazine
Topics
Race and Ethnicity
Creators
White, Conrad (Director)
Rivero, Marita (Producer)
Contributors
Fields, Carmen (Host)
Publication Information
WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation
Chicago: “Say Brother; Black Fraternal Organizations; Negro Masonry in the United States,” 04/18/1976, GBH Archives, accessed December 21, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_1DB0B18A0E004D0EB7929ECF4DC820A7.
MLA: “Say Brother; Black Fraternal Organizations; Negro Masonry in the United States.” 04/18/1976. GBH Archives. Web. December 21, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_1DB0B18A0E004D0EB7929ECF4DC820A7>.
APA: Say Brother; Black Fraternal Organizations; Negro Masonry in the United States. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_1DB0B18A0E004D0EB7929ECF4DC820A7
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