Independent Order of St. Luke

It was founded after the Civil War (1861–1865) in Baltimore, Maryland by Mary Ann Prout.

[1] Black fraternal orders provided a means for Black community members to create resources to promote independence, self-reliance, and success that was not available to them by white businesses due to segregation.

Members of the African American community also supported and were employed and serviced by Black businesses, like retail stores, insurance companies, banks, newspapers, and homes for the elderly.

The new organization Independent Order of St. Luke was operated from Richmond, Virginia by William M. T. Forrester.

He ran the organization for thirty years, until the late 1890s, when membership had fallen to 1,000 members.