What does “Mainstream” mean?
Brother Alton Roundtree has provided this explanation: “The term “mainstream” was coined by Joseph A. Walkes, Jr. as an ongoing definition distinguishing Prince Hall Freemasonry and predominantly white Freemasonry. Walkes certainly was not the first to use the term “mainstream.” He was probably the first to use the term repeatedly to distinguish Prince Hall and predominantly white lodges. Walkes’ usage of the term “mainstream” was first noted in a speech, “Our Two Masonic Powers,” that Walkes presented to Iowa Research Lodge No. 2 in 1989. The term “mainstream” also evolved from the CompuServe Masonry Forum, which was the most widely used Masonic computer message system during the approximate time of 1992 to1997.
