Stentorians
The Stentorians are a fraternal organization of African American firefighters, based in Los Angeles, California, and founded in 1954.
The Fire Chief Engineer of Los Angeles, John Alderson, was regarded by black residents as a staunch segregationist who was preventing the integration of the LAFD.
In 1951, the California Eagle, the West Coast's largest African-American newspaper, owned and operated by Charlotta Bass, was taken over by its former writer turned city editor, lawyer Loren Miller.
[3] An early proponent (1920s under editor J.B. Bass {d.1934}[4] and followed by Charlotta) of integration and Civil Rights, the Eagle pushed for diversity and ran editorials against segregation.
The Stentorians determined that to protect the men, a round-the-clock patrol would deploy to guard the black firefighters at Fire Station 10.
His was the generation of black "firsts", many of whom are remembered for the integration fights that led the full appearance of the Civil Rights Movement in America.
He was later appointed Civil Service commissioner by Mayor Tom Bradley and served as "Fire Chief for a Day", achieving the chance at promotion he felt he was unfairly denied while a firefighter.
As their numbers in the ranks grew, slowly at first but with the return of many blacks after serving in the military overseas, they stood firm that there was a place for them at the table of civil service.
On December 6, 1888, a black man, Sam Haskins, born a slave in 1840 from Virginia, was listed in the census as an employed fireman for the city of Los Angeles, assigned to Engine Company #4.
[9] That is where all subsequent black firefighters were sent, following the Supreme Court ruling in Plessy vs. Ferguson that established "separate but equal" as the law of the land.
A month after taking office, he was given a petition backed by the NAACP[10] that protested that the LAFD did not represent the people it served because it was not integrated.
The Stentorians came to understand a different sensibility of Jim Crow, namely harassment in various forms that didn't quite rise to the level of racial animosity, but as ret.
Both groups of Stentorians also belong to the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, a national organization promoting equality for the fire service nationwide.
[24] The previous year, the Los Angeles County Fire union, Local 1014 had accused the Stentorians of cheating on the entry-level exam for firefighters.
Through their involvement in the school system, the Foundation and the Stentorians have been able to offer community youth a viable alternative to the growing problems with gangs and drugs.
Old Station 46 was renovated and became the home of the Stentorians, and renamed for Arnett Hartsfield Jr[25] of the City and Van Davis of the County of LA fire departments.
On opening day, fire chief Bamattre spoke to the Old Stentorians[27] and issued a formal apology for enduring a terrible time during the integration of the LAFD during the mid-1950s.
Convention and the traditional "Memorial March", made its way down Crenshaw Blvd., creating a truly historical moment in Los Angeles’ history.
Deceased Fireman Sam Haskins was finally given an honorable burial when a headstone is placed over his remains in Evergreen Cemetery.
Sam Haskins was born a slave in Virginia in 1840 and was appointed as a ‘Call Man’ to Engine #2, becoming the first black hired by the LAFD as a firefighter.
Resistance to men and women of color still exists in fire departments across the country and even though discrimination is no longer overt, the numbers of firefighters in the ranks do not reflect the demographics of the populations served, hence the continued need[30] for such fraternal organizations.
As recently as 2011 lawsuits filed by fraternal organizations and joined by the Justice Department forced the City of New York to settle with the Vulcan Society of the FDNY in making minority appointments from the lists established by the Dept of Personnel in 1999, 2002 and 2007, leading to the most diversified classes in the history of that city's fire dept.
For almost 100 years, African Americans have been members of the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) and have historically faced major obstacles to equal employment opportunities.
While there have been some improvements over the years, discriminatory hiring and promotional practices, which represent significant barriers for minority members of the LAFD, remain.
Double standards, subjective judgements and institutionalized discrimination still serve as an effective barrier against equal and fair promotional practices.
The Los Angeles City Council's resolution #94.0585 dated April 12, 1994, directed the Personnel Department to study the LAFD.
This study was to review the entry level process and all procedures and factors relevant to promotion and advancement within the Fire Department as they relate to minorities and females.
The Los Angeles City Stentorians is an African-American Firefighter's Association dedicated to the professional advancement of its members.
Therefore, we have a real stake in ensuring that the Personnel Department's study objectively evaluates and highlights the LAFD's present promotional and employment practices.
We are confident that an honest review of the present employment conditions in the LAFD will lead to the conclusion that a fundamental lack of equal opportunity exists and that certain safeguards, policies and procedures are needed to level the playing field.
