The Atlanta Hawks on Friday unveiled a basketball goal and mural — celebrating the 59th anniversary of integration in the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.
The event happened at Station 16 in Washington Park, where in 1963 the first 16 Black male firefighters in the department’s history were assigned.
The first seven Black women were hired into the department over a decade later, in 1977.
Credit: Jillian Price
Credit: Jillian Price
Theodore Ector, 84, is an alumni of that first group of 16 at Station 16. The retired lieutenant said the fanfare surrounding Friday’s event was impressive.
“Oh, I love it,” Ector said. “This really surprised me. I had no idea it was gonna be like this.”
Ector was joined by others in those initial groups of Black male and female firefighters: Lt. Louvenia Jenkins and Battalion Chief Liz Summers. Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins was also on hand, along with current players John Collins and Skylar Mays.
Ector recalled his first day working at Station 16. He said it was clear that he and his fellow firefighters were not initially wanted by some people in the department, and they got a cold welcome from a longtime firefighter that first morning.
“We walked in, said good morning. He never spoke,” Ector said.
Summers, 75, a retired battalion chief, is one of the seven women who joined the department.
Summers felt blessed to be a part of the event and was particularly touched by the mural that is now painted at the station.
“It really brought tears to my eyes,” Summers said.
A section of the mural shows 16 black stars to represent the first 16 male firefighters and seven red stars to represent the seven women firefighters.
Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith said the first Black men and women of the department paved the way for him. Of the retired firefighters who attended the event, all were able to become officers.
“Them weathering the storm and getting through those spaces created avenues for people like myself,” Smith said. “Had they not done any of that, I would have never gotten to this point where I could say, ‘Hey, I am the fire chief.’
“And so, for them to look like me is huge.”
