Knights of Columbus off-shoot

I recently stumbled across the website of a Knights of Columbus off-shoot named the Knights of Peter Claver. Apearntly it was founded by African American Men who where not allowed to join the Knights of Columbus. Has anyone else heard of this organization? How many fraternal organizations have similar off-shoots?

Wikipedia has some good information regarding the founding of the Knights of St. Peter Claver.

Blacks were never banned from becoming members. However in the early 1900's, there were many times that a member was voted down because he was black and was denied entrance into a council. Supreme Council made some changes to discourage this from happening as time went on. For example, 5 "no's" during voting to bar a member, was changed to a majority vote . Supreme Knight Hart worked hard to make sure and encourage Blacks from joining the Knights of Columbus.

Discrimination was more widespread during the 1900's, and things have changed a lot since then.

You will find Knights of every race these days, Black, White, Spanish, Chinese, Filipino etc.. The Knights of Columbus today are an international, interracial organization, denying only those that are not practical Catholics over 18 years of age.

CC

The KPCs were founded by both black and white Catholic men and clergy. Non-blacks make up about 25% of their total membership. KPC Supreme advertises that they have 100,000 members on their rolls, but examination of the numbers in their publication The Claverite shown that the actual number of inducted, dues-paying members is closer to 20,000-25,000 members. I'm guessing that the 100,000 figure comes from including non-member family members who are part of the Claver family.

I know a KPC member from my Alhambra caravan, and he's a real go-getter and also a regional muckety-muck in the KCs as well as the KPCs. I happened to meet an an older KPC couple at an EOHSJ investment last Fall, and they were wonderful, wonderful people. I looked into joining the KPCs; there are two councils in my area, but found out that their yearly dues are very, very high -- five times the amount of my KC dues! I did not expect that all, and expect that the exorbitant dues are a hindrance to attracting new members. I would also wager that now there as many if not more black KC members than there are in the KPCs, ironic considering the original purpose of the KPCs.

The KPC as four degrees like the KCs, and have the swords, cape, and chapeau like the KCs, but the colors used in the KPC capes and chapeau plumes are a bit garish, IMO.

Originally posted by chief_counsellor
Wikipedia has some good information regarding the founding of the Knights of St. Peter Claver.

Blacks were never banned from becoming members. However in the early 1900's, there were many times that a member was voted down because he was black and was denied entrance into a council. Supreme Council made some changes to discourage this from happening as time went on. For example, 5 "no's" during voting to bar a member, was changed to a majority vote . Supreme Knight Hart worked hard to make sure and encourage Blacks from joining the Knights of Columbus.
CC

CC,

I've heard that said before and can't find proof to the contrary (not that I want it to be untrue, of course) but it was very common for fraternal organizations to have racial bans in the early days. And I read an interesting passage in "The Order of Alhambra: It's History and It's Memorials" by Vincent A. Lapomarda, Chairman of the Committee on Historical Memorials for the Order of Alhambra and a Jesuit Priest.

On pp. 24-25 he says the following: "...at the 1961 biennial meeting delegates did away with the requirement that only whites be members of the Order [of Alhambra]...Though the Knights of Columbus would not formally act on eliminating the discriminatory clause in their own requirements until their 1964 convention in New Orleans, they had already accepted blacks into their ranks just as had the Order of Alhambra."

So it appears that Fr. Lapomarda was aware of a formal ban on non-white members in the K of C that existed before 1964. It would be of interest to see copies of the early Constitutions & Bylaws, or some sort of documentation to find out why he wrote this.

This is actually why I come here. I have not heard about this group and now I have something new to research and to learn about.

Thank you for adding to the board.

Cory