New Chapter Established in Historic Region known for Departing Slave Ships to North American Shores
As we mark of the 400th anniversary of slavery in the United States in 2019, a new grand lodge was recently established in Cotonou, West Africa. Many North American slaves in the United States came from Benin.
The recently charted Benin Chapter of Free Masons was recently visited by a North Carolina chapter of Prince Hall Masons.
The establishment of the Benin Chapter of Prince Hall is significant as it home to where more than a million African, sold into slavery departed the African coast.
The inauguration of a Prince Hall Lodge in Benin, where more than a million Africans, sold into slavery, departed the African coast, made the Masons from Benin emotional at the mention of it. A sect of Freemasons born out of the type of discrimination that had never been seen in Benin, To the Beninese masons, it was like a rare moment to right the wrongs of history.
A day before the inauguration event, the black American and Beninese Prince Hall Masons took a guided tour of the Slave Route in Ouidah, a sandy, three-kilometer path of sculptures and monuments to commemorate stops along the road where enslaved people walked to the port to be taken abroad in chains.
The tour includes stops at sites like Place Chacha, where Africans were auctioned and branded with markers of sale before making the arduous walk to the ocean. At one stop, The Memorial of Remembrance, the group took a moment of silence for the enslaved people who died even before boarding the ships.
The Prince Hall Masons of Rhode Island welcomes our new Brothers from the Benin Chapter. Our door on the shores of New England is always open to you.
Brethren,
I did not do the tour but I was in Benin in that period.
I am a member of The Most Whorshipful Grand Lodge Prince Hall of France.
It will be a great honor to visit you especially during your annual communication.
If possible.
What is underway is simply giant
K. WANDJI
Brethren,
In my message this morning, i forgot an important statement.
I am the actual Deputy Grand Master of the
Mos Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of France and Juridictions
(Benin Juridiction included)
Don’t we have our own ancient AFRIKAN fraternal societies? Why do we need to join Freemasonry?
I am very happy to read your article. Thanks very much. You are also welcome in Benin as well as France. I hope we shall meet each other soon in RI or in NC.
May God bless every Masons.
Hello brothers I’m a master mason from Waterloo, Canada. I will be visiting Cotonou in the new year and would love to know some brothers in town.
Hello Brothers i would love to join and serve the master.i’m from Benin republic thanks for your guidance.