A social network analysis of early twentieth-century elite Black male civil society

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study provides new empirical evidence on the relationships between early twentieth-century Black voluntary membership associations. Specifically, we utilize data on elite Black men’s fraternal, professional, intellectual, and reform association memberships derived from the first Who’s Who publication for Black citizens to consider how these individuals’ organizational memberships may have helped to foster Black civil society, creating networks of activism and engagement with the potential to enhance democratic citizenship. We find that the three major fraternal orders—the Prince Hall Masons, the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, and the Knights of Pythias of North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa—had the greatest numbers of identifiers; these associations often were closely connected to professional and reform organizations such as the National Negro Business League and the NAACP. Important regional distinctions also emerge. These findings have important implications for the development of Black social, cultural, and political capital at the turn of the twentieth century.