Discrimination And Racial Prejudice In Cleveland - Term Paper Example

Discrimination And Racial Prejudice In Cleveland Introduction: Prejudice is defined as the negative attitude expressed towards an individual on the basis of their association with a particular social group or ethnicity. Prejudices occur out of misinformed and incorrect beliefs which can taint the value of an individual in the eyes of the person with those beliefs. Discrimination is its neutral form is to identify and respond to differences which occur between different groups of people or individuals. Educated discrimination cannot be always termed as negative but unfair discrimination is to act out negatively towards individuals with certain characteristics which make them different from the majority(McLeod, 2008). Unfair discrimination is hurtful, biased and based on wrong assumptions- it can often occur as a violation of basic human rights. Yet, human history is rife with examples of blatant prejudice and discrimination against certain gender, races and social classes of people and racism in particular has profoundly marked the very structure of societies in countries like the United States of America. The history of United States is an evident example of a nation which has struggled with race relations since its founding. There are many arguments detailing that the prosperity and wealth of the nation was gained at the expense of certain races. African-Americans were exploited as slaves as far as the 20th century and had a major role in developing the economy and agriculture of the new land and indigenous populations had to be dominated from their own homeland in order for the modern United States to come into existence. Racism has been a major issue since colonial era with different degrees of apparent exploitation of the minority races. Some of the major racially structured institutions which existed in United States include slavery, Native American reservations, segregation, residential schools (for Native Americans), internment camps, and affirmative action. (Chehade, 2010). Though, the Civil Rights Movement and changing social demographics and perceptions resulted in disbanding of formal racial discrimination by mid-20th century- the modern United States is still not free from racial discrimination. Legal rights and legislation have been passed to protect the minorities from discrimination in their civil, professional and personal lives. African-Americans in particular live a very different life than their ancestors a century ago; but hostile attitudes and indirect discrimination still exist, clearly observant in racial politics.1 Racist attitudes exist because of the tendency of people to group themselves as ‘us’ and ‘them’ and then maintain hostile and defensive attitudes towards those perceived as ‘them’. Modern Psychology provides three accepted theories to explain the occurrence of racism and widespread prejudice. The first of these, Authoritarian Personality explains prejudice as caused by certain personality traits which make a person more prone to be aggressive to those they perceive as being of lower status than them and more obedient to those with high status. But this theory doesn’t indicate how a whole nation can turn against one particular group- that is better explained by the Stereotyping and Social Identity theories. These present the idea that the self-worth of individuals is tied to their membership in a group and they will try to enhance that status by undermining other groups. This is made easier through harmful stereotypes which colors a whole race or social group with negative (false and often exaggerated) characteristics and serve as the most convenient way to distinguish members of the other group in absence of other constructive information. These theories are helpful in understanding modern day United States which is currently facing an increase of 244 percent in the number of Patriot groups and a rise of nearly 80 percent anti-immigration groups (growing from 173 in 2008 to 309 in 2009) throughout the country. (Chelala, 2010). These groups indicate a re-emerging wave of racism directed towards groups of Mexican, Arabic, Latin and African American ethnicity. Many attribute this as a reaction to the appointment of America’s first African American President Obama, showing that a substantial portion of the population still holds discriminatory views. Struggles of the African American community will have to continue until they can be assured of equal rights and respect from this demographic as well. A History of Ohio, Cleveland: As one of the Northern States of America, Ohio was traditionally one of the better solutions for free African American to reside in as even though the area was not free from the racial discrimination practices prevalent in the era. Slavery was not practiced in the state, making it one of the safer destinations for free African Americans or slaves who had run away, but the law did allow the slave owners to come and claim and claim their ‘runaway property’. Before Statehood there were hardly any African Americans in the area but by 1860, 36,700 African Americans resided in the state. The large majority of black Ohioans were free citizens and the emerging cities of Cincinnati and Cleveland became popular regions for them to move into, looking for gainful employment and a better degree of lifestyle. Before the growth of cities, many of these people had lived with friendly Native American tribes but moving into the urban areas provided better chance of respectful work. Segregation was practiced fully during that time, with white residences completely separate from Black ones; there were also civil laws in place to ensure racial discrimination in both public and private sectors. Black men could not serve in the militia, serve on juries, testify in court against whites, or receive assistance at the "poor house”, admit their children in public schools among others. The citizens were against slavery but proved hard to persuade to allow for amendments giving African Americans equal rights and protection. The Black population grew at increasing rates in Ohio during “The Great Migration”. This began as early as the 1910s and continued at least through World War II in the early 1940s, when there was greater need of workers in the factories and industrial sector. Racial tensions continued as there was increasing economic competition between the races as well. The boom in housing and facilities required for the increasing population adhered to the same segregation ideas. It was not until after WWII that organized effort was started to question these bigoted traditions and ideals. Many African American college graduate faced discrimination and unfair hiring practices in the workplace and revolted against them. These civilians and war veterans (both Black and white) banded to together for demonstrations for opposition of racism, culminating their efforts during the Civil Rights Movement from 1960-1980. Ohio Civil Rights Act of 1959 was passed, which was to "prevent and eliminate the practice of discrimination in employment against persons because of their race, color, religion, national origin, or ancestry." (Ohio Historical Society, 1999). This was one of the first major steps towards equalizing rights for African American population of Ohio and gradually the nature of treatment they received changed over time. However, it would not be true to say that racial discrimination, prejudice and hate crimes were completely eradicated from the state and its urban centers. Reflective of the conditions in the rest of the US, there are pockets of negative attitude towards minorities in the region and though the lifestyle afforded by African Americans is much, much better race riots have been observed as recently as 2001. The situation might even worsen in the current wave of racism and anti-minority sentiments which have been occurring in the political arena. Freemasons: When talking about discrimination and prejudice, these practices are not only restricted towards groups based on their skin color, sometimes social entities which hold different beliefs and values also come under deep criticism by the majority population. These social groups are often attacked for their purpose, mission and practices- many times out of misguided emotions or misleading information; or perhaps simply out of fear of what are different. One such group under close scrutiny nowadays is the Freemasons. This social order is one of the oldest and most widely known fraternal organizations in the world, boasting a membership of some of the most notable leaders, philosophers and scientists of the previous centuries. The famous roots of the organization date to when its members were working Masons who built castles and cathedrals throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. The order as it is known today was started in 18th Century England when the Freemason began to accept members who were not actually operative Masons but belonged to different professions (Brinson). Freemasonry was brought into United States with the early settlers, who established their own ‘Grand lodges’ in the country. The fraternity is organized into these independent units called Grand lodges or Orients which administered by the by an elected presiding officer called the Grand Master. The Grand lodges govern their own jurisdictions which consist of other subordinate lodges. The message of this ‘society with secrets’ is that all men are created equal and are entitled to certain "unalienable rights", these rights include "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Currently there are five million Masons in the modern world with around three million residing in the United States and a large number under the jurisdiction of Grand lodge of Scotland, Grand lodge of Ireland and United grand lodge of England. The order has had to face hostile reactions from different groups over the course of their existence. Some of this criticism has resulted from the initial secrecy of the brotherhood and the question of the purpose of their existence. Anti-Masonry sentiments have emerged from a diverse range of (often contrary) groups; vocal critics have included religious groups, political groups, and conspiracy theorists. Religious groups have denounced Freemasons as an opposing or competing force for their respective religion. While the Church of England has historically offered cautious support for the order, the biggest opponent of Masons for a long time has been the Roman Catholic Church, which points to the teachings of the fraternity as being in conflict with Church Doctrine. However, many freemasons believe that the actual motivation behind this hostility is power play and an effort to undermine an order which could pose as a threat to the popularity of the Church “In some countries, politics plays an important part in the condemnation of the fraternity. This is a primary reason behind the Roman Catholic Church’s opposition to the fraternity.” (Leazer, 1999). In recent years the Order has also been linked to ‘Satanism’ and practice of the occult, though these accusations have been mostly debunked as exaggeration and fiction. Money is also cited as a driving force for many Masonic critics, who wish to disturb the more influential members of the order.2 . In recent years some Muslim groups have denounced the group on the basis of Anti Semitic sentiments, with claims that Freemasonry promotes the interests of the Jews around the world and promotes the ‘New World order’. Conspiracy theorists have long connected Freemasonry with the New World Order and the Illuminati, and state that Freemasonry as an organization has the mission of world domination either directly or indirectly by control of the world politics. Some even go as far as to say that freemasons have a hand in a large majority of significant world events and decisions. On a closer look it would be apparent to anyone that there is no statistical or even anecdotal evidence to back up these claims and so far these only remain contrived allegations. However, human nature is such that even the trace of a scandal can be made believable if people are willing to entertain negative perceptions towards a certain group. The Freemasons have had to deal with at least a tarnished reputation if not any other major negative consequences as a result of these criticisms. In Ohio, Cleveland the Masons have a thriving presence. The members of the secret fraternal order of Free and Accepted Masons organized their first lodge in Cleveland in 1811. The charter of the lodge was allowed to lapse in the 1830s because of anti-Masonic sentiment which spread throughout the country but by 1836 things had calmed down enough to allow formation of other lodges including Cleveland City Lodge No. 15, "Old 15," which was formed in Sept 1841. The popularity of the order grew with the increasing population, with formation of other lodges in Cleveland and the adjacent areas.  “In 1972 there were 38,000 Masons in District No. 22 (Lorain and Cuyahoga counties), down from 42,891 in 1962. In 1993 there were 11 Masonic temples in the Cleveland area. Black masons also formed several lodges in the area one of the oldest of which is El Hasa Temple No. 28 of the Prince Hall Shriners.” (Encyclopedia, 1998).3 It would seem from a study of Ohio history that for a large time period, the Masons did not face any prejudice or harmful consequences of the same. It was an order comprised initially of only white men in influential positions and was relatively protected from external criticism or opponents. Things within the order, however, presented a different environment than of the brotherly love and equality that had been preached by the Freemasons. Hypocrisy within the order: One of the more valid points which are raised against Freemason is the accusations of racial discrimination and biasness which existed within the order itself. There were no black members of the order before the late 1780s and after wards the black Masons grew independently from the main body or Grand lodges of the traditionally white Freemasons. African Lodge N0.459 was formally chartered by England in 1789 after Prince Hall and his group of African American Masons began meeting as a lodge in Boston. The black branch of the Freemasons, established forever under the name of Prince Hall had a turbulent start, with the various lodges and Grand lodges formed from the original lodge facing opposition and at times a lack of recognition from the larger body of Freemasonry. The practice of segregation was common place in that era and following the social norms, the black masons existed as a separate body, though one which theoretically had the same rights and power as any Grand Lodge. It might even have seemed like a racially advanced privilege at the time but many of their white counter parts refused to accept them as ‘brothers’. “Unfortunately, racial feelings of the era caused Freemasonry for African-American men to develop independently. While there are those among the rank and file of "White" Masons who would deny the legitimacy of Prince Hall Masonry, Prince Hall Grand Lodges have the exact same beliefs, follow the same rituals, and contain the same tenets and teachings of all "regular" Freemasonry throughout the world” (O.F.F) Some of the more vocal opponents pointed out certain original rules regarding membership into the order which were meant to dissuade ‘slaves’ and descendant of said slaves from entering the order. One of these is the Masonic obligations that required a candidate to be "free-born"- meant for apprentices who had not yet completed their training. This rule was handily applied to ban the membership of African Americans into the Grand Lodges and has been used as a foundation to speak against existence of Prince Hall masonry. Some people who are better educated with these rules or ‘landmarks’ talk about the blatant hypocrisy which exists in the ranks of an order proclaiming to advocate ‘brotherly love’ yet failing to act on it in terms of actual membership. The astounding fact is that this segregation has continued well past the 20th century and exists even today; while the order has conceded with regard to official reorganization of their brother Prince Hall Masonries in many states the fraternity continues to be divided and ruled on racial lines. “In the South, it goes further: White-controlled Grand Lodges in 12 Southern states do not even officially recognize black Masons as their brothers -- the Masonic term is "mutual recognition" -- and in some cases, black lodges have taken similar stands”. (Reeves, 2006). The White Masons of Washington state briefly considered admitting Prince Hall Masons in 1890 but the decision resulted in a massive uproar that delayed the implementation of it by more than a century, till 1989. In Delaware, this concession was not implemented till 2006. This slow, and gradual, recognition of Prince Hall Masonry by White-American Grand Lodges, which did not begin until 1989, is key measure of the lingering racism within the fraternity. There are more reasons at play here for the existence of segregation than simple racial bias but the elements are still there. Many Prince Hall members are denied the ‘right of visitation’ (landmark fourteenth) to Grand lodges as they do not belong there- this is a cause of extreme discomfort for many of the younger members who have come to expect a degree of equality in their normal lives (O.F.F). This double standard and racist attitude is listed as one of the main reasons why some Masons decided to leave the order; the Order of former Freemasons speaks out on these matters. Even now some Grand lodges have refused to recognize either Prince Hall or any black member as a true Freemason and those who have done so have maintained their distance with Prince Hall as ‘equal but separate’ bodies. There are also some members of Price Hall who are against integrating the order at this point in history when both the sides have cultivated a rich tradition and culture associated with their own lodges and masonry. The main reason could moreover be a reluctance to relinquish the ‘gravel of authority’ that a grand master has in his respective jurisdiction- as each state can have only one Grand lodge if the two sides are merged, one of the Grand master would have to lose his authority. The prince Hall seems content to retain their autonomy as long as mutual reorganization is organized and their heritage is protected. The segregation is not seen by its supporters as a form of racism- it may have begun that way, but now it is more a question of political power and independence which is preventing a merge of the two systems “As a result, Freemasonry is seemingly forever trapped in this paradoxical, oxymoronic, catch-22 of remaining the oldest, largest, and only segregated fraternity in the world.” (O.F.F) Both Grand lodges and Prince Hall masons are present in Cleveland and each side has formed rich traditions and functions to mark their order. But it cannot be denied that the members of Prince Hall have to face double discrimination, one from within the ranks of their own order (though many will not accept it as such) and secondly from the majority population because of both their race and their association with a ‘secret’ society. This is the reason why the following incident sparked cries of hate crime in Cleveland in 2010. The Arson of Prince Hall Masonic Temple The prince hall Masonic Temple Cleveland had been a center of African American Mason activities since the 1954, when the lodge had paid around $75,000 for acquisition of the building. Several generations of Masons had passed through the halls, upholding the traditions of the Prince Hall order and taking part in routine meetings. The 103 year old building had been declared a Cleveland landmark in 1995. The prominent building was completely destroyed in a fire on May 19th 2010 which engulfed its four stories, destroying the basement ad foundations as well. At the time the building was being used as a warehouse to store important documents and historically relevant artifacts, paintings and other memorabilia. Mason activities had been shifted to another building after the hall suffered some structural damage in 2006 and currently discussions were underway on whether to renovate the building or resell it. Most members were in the favor of the former idea as many had emotional connections and memories related to the building. It was also a part of the Prince Hall history of Cleveland and they wanted to preserve it for future generations. The members of the order reacted predictably when hearing the news. "My heart was broken when I heard the news," said George Trumbo, a retired Cleveland municipal court judge, a member since the '40s ( Kleinerman, 2010). The worst information to be received was when the investigators discovered that the cause of fire was arson- someone had deliberately targeted the building and it was expected that the motivation factor could possibly indicate a hate crime against a race ‘African Americans’ or a group ‘Prince Hall’.4 The reason that racial prejudice came into mind as a foremost reason behind the arson was because of an increase in hostile attitudes towards minority groups in Cleveland in the past few years, “Last year, hate crimes reported in Cleveland nearly tripled over the five year low of just five in 2009, according to an FBI report released” (Rogus, 2011). The increase in open and obvious racial prejudice and discrimination may be because of the trouble in economy which makes people react in aggressive and defensive ways - minorities being the target of that hate. Or the current political climate in the US which had allowed open and forceful retaliation against a black president, making racism seem like a normal thing for other people to indulge in. Of course the possibility remains that the arson could have been done by a delinquent with no other motivation than to cause damage to an old, derelict building out of boredom or to cause a panic. But the destruction of a significant landmark belonging to a prominent, historically targeted group seems to point towards more sinister reasons. Interestingly, on online forums and in discussions elsewhere, some people have pointed out the finger back at Prince Hall masons suggesting the theory that the group itself set fire to the building which had no more monetary value for them in a scam for insurance money. They claim that an old, unsafe building could not possibly have been selected as a ware house for valuable objects and the Masons must be exaggerating the claims for increased monetary compensation for their loss. While there is no limit of real life cases where this same scenario has been carried out for the same exact reasons as speculated, it is telling that the reaction of these people was to jump to conclusions which reflect negatively on the victim group. This reaction shows just another example of subtle stereotyping which still exists among the population. The arson affected a group comprised of African Americans and part of a ‘secret’ world order associated with many conspiracy theories and instead of showing sympathy for the loss of a significant part of their heritage people are quick to bring forth suggestions that they orchestrated the whole thing for monetary benefit. Conclusion: A discussion on Race and discrimination The purpose of this paper is to look at the many different shades of racism and prejudice which still flow through Cleveland, Ohio and which may have culminated in the destruction of a valuable piece of community history. On one hand we have African Americans, a race which has faced severed discrimination throughout the history of United States. On the other hand their association with Freemasons, a fraternity which has seen its own share of discrimination but still practices a deep tradition of racial segregation in its ranks even today. The result is a group of people who have faced oppression from both external and internal parties. The arson of the prince hall Temple may have been a racially motivated crime or not, but it still raises questions about the nature of racial biasness and hate which is still prevalent in some forms in the modern society. The Prince hall Lodge itself is a glaring example of this discrimination. Even though many members have accepted the segregation as a part of their tradition and history, preferring their independence among their own kind over integration with those who once oppressed them, it still is a hypocritical stance. Perhaps it is a part of human nature to bond with those who are closest to us in skin, color, values and beliefs and to shun others on the outside. Many believe that there can still be cooperation without having to accept the others as a part of your own society but this kind of attitude is harmful in the long term, creating a fragmented society where one group will always be the weaker and thus a target for discrimination. It is disappointing that even after so much work and endeavors, human equality is a concept in some places and more so in the attitudes and thinking of people. More tolerance has to be learned before harmful stereotypes and damaging attitudes towards ‘other groups’ are abolished forever. Content Notes 1- See Chehade (2010, for the views on racism and discrimination that is prevalent in United States 2- See The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History (1998) to gain an insight in the history of the Princeland Freemasons 3- See Leazer (1999) to know about the practices of the Freemasons and as to why Catholics are against it. 4- See Kleinerman (2010) to know about the arson of the Freemasons Hall. References Brinson, E.E. (2012). History of Freemasonry. Retrieved from: http://squareandcompass. blogspot.com/p/history.html Chehade, P. (2010). Racism and discrimination in the United States. 1888 Press Release, Retrieved from: http://www.1888pressrelease.com/racism-and-discrimination-in-the- united-states-paul-chehade-pr-224395.html Chelala, C. (2010). Is Racism Still Alive in America? Common Dreams. Retrieved from: https://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/04/02-7 Kleinerman, E. (2010). Masonic Temple fire on East 55th Street in Cleveland ruled arson. Cleveland. Com. Retrieved from: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/05/masonic_temple_fire_on_east_55.html Leazer, G. (1999). The fundamental reason for the current criticism of Freemasonry. Presented at the Vancouver Grand Masonic Day, October 16, 1999.  Retrieved from: http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/gmd1999/threat.html McLeod, S. A. (2008). Prejudice and Discrimination in Psychology. Simply Psychology, Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/prejudice.html O.F.F. (2003).  Key Issues: Separate but Equal Brotherhood. Order of Former Freemasons. Retrieved from: http://www.formermasons.org/issues/separate_ but_equal_brotherhood.php Ohio Historical Society. (1999). History, Groups, African Americans. Ohio History Central. Retrieved From: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=570 Reeves, J. (2006). In South, Masons stay divided. Post-Gazette. Retrieved From: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/us/in-south-masons-stay-divided- 456839/?print=1 Rogus, M. (2011). FBI reports nearly all 2010 hate crimes in Cleveland were race-related. News Net 5. Retrieved from: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/fbi-reports- nearly-all-2010-hate-crimes-in-cleveland-were-race-related#ixzz21XTCEfYU The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. (1998). MASONS - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Retrieved from: http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=M2   Read More