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- -- - --------- . . ~----_ CITY OF ATLANTA 8 August 1969 ,. · :: . Memorandum Rcga_rding Discrimination _Agai ns t Black Fi r emen Of Atlanta • . . ... To: . '· -- ~ Mayor Ivan Allan, Chairman Board of Firemaste rs-, Alde rman..__Wm. :· T, Knight and Atlanta Fire Chief Paul O. Wi lliams --.. --------_ . . . ___·· . ...____ ·- --- Black Firemen of Atla nt a From: - .....__ - ' - ~ -. ' The Black fir ef i ght er s of Atlanta are dedicated municipal emplo{ee ~, conc~rned wit h t he sa f ety and welfa r e of our city and all of its citizens ~ - , During the y ears of ou r tenure as firemen we have been subjected to dis- ·. ·1 crimin ation and abuses as outlined below. We :cequest that imire diate action be tak en to correc t these p r actices, and th at on or before Monday, August 18, 19 69 t hat we receive a fo r mal report on your '1i'e-..tio·ns in corr'E?~ i ng the action s ci t ed her ein: / ....._ .•. I. - HIRI NG PRACT I CES '..·.·:·~~I~~ .,;_: - : ~ Th e rat io of Blac k Firemen to White Firemen -does not to th·e· popu la t ion of Black citizens in Atlanta. There-'1ire-- ~bout 90 to 100 Black Firemen in a department of more than 900 men. Black ·-E.iremen that are draft ed i nto the armed servic~s are replaced by ._white firemen II. SEGREGAT ED SLEEPING & LOCKER At\RANGEMENTS J Lo ckers and beds of Black Firemen are placed in the back or away from the whit e f iremen. III. RECREATION CLUB ·· - ~ ••- - ,_rri'iBZ

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ce, r,- I ~· ~ Th~ membe r ship was closed the year Bl ack Fi rem en were hir ed in Land was given to the club by the govern~:At_ °r~ Lake Aila~. )._13 acres). J.963. IV. PROMOTIONAL DISCRI MI NATION .,ls?~ . 1 ,-.1~~ 143.215.248.55 ....~ ' ; . ) . Black Firemen should be included in every department. Whi t .~•.Jitfr ~ r.1en with 1 e ss tim e and experience: are promoted - to ··dr·-i-v-e r positions. i:H ack Fire!7len wi t h 5 and 6 years should be promoted to Lieutenants -;-·-because the. entire off icer cabinet is made up of all white officers. Most of these offic ers h a v e ~ vm t o f or ce t h e-i-r-p-r-ejttdices ·on-- B1·ack Firemen. We -~ are · aware of the test for Lieutenants , but in a time of an emergency men have be en pr omoted wholesale from private to captains within a year, thus_ set t i ng prop er precedent . We con sider this an em erg e_o_cy--beG-ati-Se--o-f tfie overal l discrimination in the department . 'Nhite drivers are giving up their ~ositions because they kno w future Lieutenants are going to be appointed by Chiefs.· Thi s is t r ue because in the last captain's test the aides of all the chief s dominated the list. Some of these Lieutenants didn't place in the top 40 on the Lieutenants list. Now they are captains. V. EXPE.RIENCE AND LE NGTH OF TIME ON THE DEPARTMENT Ac ting officers ,we feel that every Black Firemen with the time and experi ence , equal t o any white firemen, should be.given the opportunity to be an acting officer. This applies to~ra driverso House d~ies should be picked acco r ding to senio r ity. ~ 1 1-<::; ~ {u-,v- ~ ) VI. STMJDARD SET OF RULES FOR ALL C INS Eich sh ift is operated different, captain authority has no limit. He forces person al prejudices on Black Firemen. Transfer of ~en to other stations. ( ~ ~~ ~ FOR CONT ACT: - ~ ~ r)/1.VL/v all) ·, t;v-, Fi r eman Wi 11 i am Hamer 195 1-!er me r Ci r c l e, N. W. Atlanta, Georg ia 30311 _____ elephon e - 794-2244 -- ·-- . or Fire Station 1 6 on C Shift Telephone 523-57 86 . ----~ ·· I . ' ,. .

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