D.C. firefighters gathered Saturday to honor 150 year of history at a Northwest D.C. fire company that was the first all-African American fire company in the District of Columbia. It just so happens its anniversary falls within Black History Month.
You may have seen its nickname, “The Hornet’s Nest” on Sherman Avenue NW. A horse-drawn steam fire engine from the early 1900s sat inside the station Saturday as a symbol of the groundbreaking time for black firefighters. “There were four African Americans at the time and they wanted to have their own company so they could be promoted within the company,” said Jimmy Embrey, Assistant Curator at DCFD’s Museum.
A DC Fire & EMS spokesperson says during that time, African Americans were not allowed to oversee white firefighters.