Footprints of Fayette

Grand United Order of Odd-Fellows Chart, NewYork: Published by Currier & Ives, c. 1881. Courtesy of Library of Congress
Grand United Order of Odd-Fellows Chart, NewYork: Published by Currier & Ives, c. 1881. Courtesy of Library of Congress

A Historical Column From The Fayette County Historical Commission

African American Fraternal Organizations in Fayette County

By Marie W. Watts

While the church is considered the bedrock of the African American community, fraternal organizations played a large role in shaping its evolution in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These organizations were voluntary, providing mutual aid to members. Part of t…