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City of Atlanta honors 16 Black firefighters
City of Atlanta honors 16 Black firefighters
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Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond (LEFT) and boxing great Evander Holyfield unveil a marker at Atlanta Fire Rescue Station 16 honoring the Black men and women that broke the color and gender barrier following the ceremony Monday. The City of Atlanta honored 16 Black firefighters that broke the color barrier and integrated the Atlanta Fire Department 50 years ago, Monday April 1 2013. Retired Chief William Hamer remembers arriving at a fire to find a crowd of black resident cheering him on."They were so proud of us, " recalled Hamer, one of the first African Americans in modern times to join the Atlanta Fire Department. But it was all cheers. Hamer recalls the chilly reception he received from some of his white colleagues.On Monday, 50 years, after 16 men became the first African American firefighters in Atlanta, the city will honor Hamer and others. He said about 8 are still living. The city will also honor a few of the first black women firefighters.
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