Date of Award

Summer 8-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Kandace Hinton

Second Advisor

Mary Howard-Hamilton

Third Advisor

Alicia N. Cooper Denton

Abstract

This dissertation examines the rationale and experiences of Black men who have initial membership within a black Greek letter organization as an undergraduate, who also join Masonic Lodges. The study was guided by one research question: 1) what the rationale is pertaining to Black men, who are initially members of Black Greek letter organizations as an undergraduate, that also join a Masonic lodge, therefore granting them dual membership status. The study was important because the value of BGLO’s has declined due to hazing and lack of leadership and guidance. Black men are not being developed as they should and while there is prior research that examines what they need to succeed, we have not heard their story told as to what their Black Greek experience was and how that impacted their decision to seek membership within the Masonic Lodges. The theoretical framework for this study consists of Cross’s theory of Nigrescence, critical race theory, social cognitive theory, and finally campus ecology. To investigate the dual membership of Black men, the investigator employed a qualitative methodology that included phenomenology, case study and a critical qualitative research design. In this process, a phenomenon or “essence” is established by analyzing textural descriptions or themes based on “what” was experienced. Participants for this study were six African American men, who were not currently enrolled students, that were initially initiated into a Black Greek-letter organization and then went on to join a Masonic lodge. The phenomenon established was the dual membership, and the four themes reflected upon based on lived experiences are as follows: social capital as a response to structural oppression, racism, leadership and the lack of mentorship, and the collective brotherhood and self-pride as identity formation among Black men. The findings suggest that dual membership exists because Black males, in essence, want to be better men in society.

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