[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 120 (Monday, July 14, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





      HONORING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN 
              FIREFIGHTERS AT THE RICHMOND FIRE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 14, 2025

  Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a group of 
courageous Virginians who demonstrated an unwavering commitment to 
public service and persevered through adversity to open doors for 
future generations. On July 1, 1950, the City of Richmond hired ten 
African-American men to serve in the Richmond Bureau of Fire, making 
them the first Black career firefighters in both the city and the 
Commonwealth of Virginia.
  I recognize and commend these trailblazers: Charles L. Belle, William 
Brown, Douglass O. Evans, Harvey Hicks, Warren W. Kersey, Bernard C. 
Lewis, Farra Lucas, Arthur L. Page, Arthur C. St. John, and Linwood M. 
Wooldridge.
  Their arrival formed the first all-Black unit in Richmond's 
segregated fire department. Although these men met all the 
qualifications, the department subjected them to unequal treatment, 
including segregated facilities, extended training periods, and limited 
chances for promotion. Despite holding college degrees and completing 
superior training, the men of Engine Company No. 9 worked exclusively 
at a single station at Fifth and Duval Streets, in the heart of 
Richmond's Black business and residential district.
  These men trained as a unit and held higher qualifications than many 
of their white peers, yet the department consistently denied them equal 
opportunities for advancement. They waited years for the department to 
recognize their promotional exam results. Mr. Charles L. Belle passed 
the lieutenant's exam in 1956 but didn't receive a promotion until 
1967, after he retook the test ten more times. Several other men 
overcame similar barriers to advance their careers: Harvey S. Hicks 
earned promotions to Lieutenant in 1955 and Captain in 1961; Linwood M. 
Wooldridge became a Lieutenant in 1956; Oscar L. Blake advanced in 
1959; and Arthur L. Page earned the rank of Lieutenant in 1961.
  These brave men faced discrimination on and off duty. Many times, 
homeowners forced them to use back entrances or refused them entry when 
they responded to emergencies. Despite these challenges, they served 
with dignity, courage, and professionalism. Their presence uplifted 
Richmond's Black community, where they actively participated in faith-
based, civic, fraternal, and social institutions.
  In 1963, the Richmond Fire Department finally began to desegregate 
six of its 28 companies. Although the city demolished Engine Company 
No. 9 in 1968, its legacy endures. In 1992, former members of that unit 
founded Engine Company No. 9 and Associates Inc. to preserve and share 
their history. On July 1, 2000, the City of Richmond honored the 50th 
anniversary of its hiring by installing a Virginia State Historic 
Highway Marker--Marker Number SA-54--at the corner of Fifth and Duval 
Streets.
  These men were more than firefighters. They were pioneers who paved 
the way for equity in public safety. I rise to honor their memory and 
the legacy of courage, service and perseverance that continues to 
inspire generations of public servants across the Commonwealth.

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