June 6 …

The Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine of North and South America and Its Jurisdictions, Inc. (AEAONMS) — commonly known as the Prince Hall Shriners — emerged in the late 19th century as a major branch of Prince Hall Freemasonry.

The organization formally traces its origins to June 6, 1893, when Mecca Temple was founded in New York City by John George Jones and other African American Masons who sought to establish a Black counterpart to the white Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, which excluded Black members.

The movement spread rapidly in the early 20th century across Black communities in major cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Memphis, and Atlanta. Local temples became prominent centers of Black civic life, sponsoring charitable drives, youth programs, scholarships, hospitals, bands, drill teams, and public parades. They offered African American professionals and businessmen opportunities for leadership, public ceremony, and institutional independence unavailable in segregated white society.

Many influential Black civic leaders were active in the organization. John George Jones of Chicago, founder of Mecca Temple, was a lawyer, journalist, and civil rights activist who later served in national Shrine leadership. Charles H. Wesley, noted historian and educator, documented the order’s development and participated in Prince Hall Masonic circles closely connected to Shrine leadership. Mississippi physician and businessman Theodore A. M. Howard actively served in civic and charitable affairs as a Prince Hall Shriner.

Founded in 1909, the organization’s women’s auxiliary, the Daughters of Isis, became one of the nation’s largest African American women’s fraternal organizations. Together, the Shrine and the Daughters of Isis built extensive social-service networks spanning the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and parts of Africa.

Throughout the 20th century, Prince Hall Shriners supported civil rights, educational initiatives, disaster relief, and Black business development while preserving ceremonial traditions rooted in Freemasonry. The AEAONMS remains active today as an international fraternal and philanthropic organization committed to community service, fellowship, and African American civic leadership.

Selected Sources:

• Walkes, Joseph A., Jr. Black Square and Compass: 200 Years of Prince Hall Freemasonry. Richmond, VA: Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1981.
• Muraskin, William A. Middle-Class Blacks in a White Society: Prince Hall Freemasonry in America. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1975.
• Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine of North and South America and Its Jurisdictions, Inc. “Proceedings of the Imperial Council.” Various years.
• “John George Jones.” The Chicago Defender, various issues, 1890s–1910s.