Is Barack Obama a Prince Hall Mason?
Several emails began circulating around 2007 claiming that Barack Obama is a 32nd degree Prince Hall Mason. Prince Hall Masonic lodges trace back their history to Prince Hall, an African-American who set up Masonic lodges for Blacks at a time when white Masons wouldn’t allow Black members. The “Masonic Obama” emails were based in conspiracy theories involving freemasons, the occult and secret groups controlling the world. Beyond conspiracy theorists, the US general public didn’t seem to care whether Obama was a member of a community organization that many of its previous presidents and founding fathers (like Benjamin Franklin) belonged to. Obama has never confirmed or denied being a member of a Prince Hall Masonic lodge, and no lodges have come forward to claim him as a member. Like others in the African-American community, many Prince Hall Masons supported Obama in his presidential bid, although Masonic lodges themselves generally do not make political statements.
