LODGES
Following emancipation, safety became the most important issue in the life of a Black person. The men and women in urban areas had a higher degree of security than rural Blacks.
Rural Blacks received some protection from the persons they worked for, often on a sharecropping basis. Their new employers wanted them unharmed because they were a source of heap labor. This did not always hold true, as on one occasion the Paleface attacked the farm of General Pillow and did physical harm to some of the Black hands.
In urban areas, lodges were formed where Black Citizens could come together to safely discuss issues such as voting and to pledge to come to the aid of any fellow members. The lodges also provided education on many topics and acted as an addition to the crowded schools.
Among these lodges was the Columbia I.O.A, which met in the Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, as well as others.