The historical past of the Improved Benevolent Protecting Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW), also referred to as the Black Elks, dates again to the late nineteenth century. After being denied entry into the all-white Benevolent and Protecting Order of Elks (BPOE) in Ohio, Benjamin Franklin Howard and Arthur James Riggs, a former slave, found they each had a dream of forming an Elks group for African Individuals. The issue was acquiring a duplicate of the ritual and the mandatory lodge supplies. Riggs, who labored as a Pullman porter, stored his eyes and ears open.
Throughout a visit down South, he obtained a duplicate of the ritual from a white Elk on board the prepare, and introduced the ritual again to Cincinnati, had copies made, and gave them to Benjamin Howard. The duo sought authorized recommendation from an lawyer regarding who checked the Library of Congress’ Register of Copyrights in Washington, D.C., however discovered no Elks’ ritual had acquired a copyright. Riggs and Howard labored for months rearranging sections of the ritual. To forestall infringement, Riggs had the ritual copyrighted because the proprietor, not the creator. Their desires and plans have been realized when the primary Lodge, Alpha Lodge No. 1, was organized in Cincinnati on account of their efforts.
Whereas heading in the right direction, issues weren’t operating as easily as they appeared for Arthur Riggs and the Black Elks. The white Elks have been livid after they heard a rumor {that a} Pullman porter had ‘borrowed’ an Elk ritual and arrange an African American lodge in Cincinnati. The Nationwide Black Monitor provides an account which states: “Riggs was taken from the prepare on which he was serving as a Pullman porter between Cincinnati and New Orleans, when it reached Birmingham, Alabama. He was threatened with lynching except he advised them the place he had secured a duplicate of the Elks’ ritual. He agreed to carry again the ritual on his subsequent journey. As an alternative, he modified locations with one other porter and by no means went on that journey once more.” In 1899, Arthur Riggs needed to go away Cincinnati and transfer to Springfield, Ohio underneath an assumed identify. Earlier than leaving, he gave the ritual, all of the papers and printed materials pertaining to the Elks to Benjamin Howard, and Covington, Kentucky turned the headquarters of the lodge.
In June 1899, the primary constitution for the incorporation of an African American Elk Lodge was issued by the State of Ohio. Different lodges have been established underneath Howard’s management in Norfolk, Virginia, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Shreveport, Louisiana, and Natchez, Mississippi, thus laying the muse for the institution of a Grand Lodge. The Cincinnati Lodge was reorganized underneath the title of “Improved Benevolent Protecting Order of Elks of the World,” with B. F. Howard as Exalted Ruler. Howard additionally sought a constitution from Kentucky however was refused due to state segregation and white affect. Because the group continued to develop and add kind, Riggs acquired extra threats. He then left the Elks for 20 years. Benjamin Howard took over the administration of the group and moved it to Covington, Kentucky. Within the early 1900’s, he was lastly permitted to arrange a lodge in Covington by the State of Kentucky. That lodge was known as Ira Lodge No. 37. Arthur J. Riggs died previous to the thirty seventh Grand Lodge assembly in August 1936.
The BPOE disputed the Black Elks use of the ritual, however they held the copyright. In 1912, the Improved, Benevolent Protecting Order of Elks of the World was sued by the BPOE in New York to maintain them from utilizing the “Elks” identify. The New York Court docket of Appeals dominated in favor of the BPOE, with Choose Barlett stating, “If the members desired the identify of an animal there’s a lengthy listing of beasts, birds, fishes which haven’t but been appropriated for such a goal.” The choice was apparently ignored after the IBPOEW made a minor change within the letters on their seal.
Benjamin F. Howard continued to be Grand Exalted Ruler till July 28, 1910, when a brand new Grand Exalted Ruler was elected. The brand new Grand Exalted Ruler was Dr. James E. Mills from Norfolk, Virginia. Howard left the group throughout this era, however continued his involvement with a brand new group known as the Fraternal Mutual Benevolent Affiliation. By 1918, the African American Elks (IBPOEW) and the white Elks (BPOE) had resolved their variations. In 1922, J. Finley Wilson was elected Grand Exalted Ruler. He additionally based and edited the Washington Eagle, the publication of the Elks Grand Lodge. All through his reign because the “Grand,” Wilson elevated the fraternal society’s nationwide membership from 30,000 to 500,000 and oversaw the creation of roughly 900 new lodges. Wilson additionally led efforts to boost about $700,000 in scholarship cash for African American school college students.
The Black Elks Lodge in Birmingham, Alabama was constructed for the Jones Valley Lodge No. 14, a bunch organized in 1902 as an affiliate of the IBPOEW. The two 1/2-story brick lodge was situated at 800 twelfth Avenue North within the Fountain Heights neighborhood. The 8,600-square-foot assembly corridor was constructed in 1920 and designed by architect Wallace Rayfield, who was the second formally educated practising African American architect in america. His skilled and mail-order architectural companies are liable for 1000’s of buildings throughout america together with greater than 130 buildings in Birmingham.
The primary meeting corridor within the Black Elks Lodge on the primary flooring was reached from a raised porch behind three brick arches dealing with the road. The second flooring was used for workplaces, and the lodge operated a lounge within the basement. The Jones Valley Temple No. 145 Daughters of the Improved Benevolent and Protecting Order of Elks of the World, the Jones Valley Golden Daybreak Temple No. 38, and the Jones Valley Juvenile No. 143 additionally used the lodge corridor. James E. Kelly served as the primary Exalted Ruler of the Jones Valley Lodge No. 14.
The Black Elks Lodge supplied a protected haven for a lot of African American males. The native excessive colleges and different civic organizations would have their capabilities, conferences, and gatherings on the lodge. Since lodges, assembly rooms, and gymnasiums weren’t open to African Individuals, the Elks lodge’s perform on this capability was invaluable and supplied a discussion board for its members. At instances the person lodges would host audio system for the edification of their members. The Black Elks have been politically impartial as a company. However as people, for the reason that members of the group got here from such all kinds of backgrounds and vocations, the Elks represented a robust, although not particularly organized power in politics and labor. The solidarity and help of the lodge was invaluable when Elks have been laid off or have been compelled to go on strike. On a person degree Elks broke many boundaries, in labor and civil rights. For instance, at one time in Alabama, the engineers on the L&L railroad have been prohibited to be African American. However, in the long run, the primary two African American engineers on the road have been Elks.
The Black Elks Lodge proved very instrumental throughout the Civil Rights Period of the Sixties, and represented one of many few locations African Individuals have been allowed to congregate amid the racial stress in Birmingham. The primary assembly corridor hosted quite a few civic and political gatherings, live shows, church companies, and NAACP conferences. In 1979, the Improved Elks had roughly 450,000 members. Because the Elks membership declined and the constructing deteriorated, the group started assembly elsewhere.
Like different fraternal associations in america, each black and white, the Improved Elks have been coping with declining membership as older members die. Youthful folks face a special world and appear much less inclined to affix such associations that purposefully discriminated towards ladies and in addition require non secular perception. The Metropolis of Birmingham condemned the constructing in 2019 attributable to security considerations. The vacant construction caught fireplace in February 2024 and was demolished by the town quickly after.
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