Black Firefighters and the FDNY: The Struggle for Jobs, Justice, and Equity in New York City
For many African Americans, getting a public sector job has historically been one of the few paths to the financial stability of the middle class, and in New York City, few such jobs were as sought-after as positions in the fire department (FDNY). For over a century, generations of Black New Yorkers have fought to gain access to and equal opportunity within the FDNY. Tracing this struggle for jobs and justice from 1898 to the present, David Goldberg details the ways each generation of firefighters confronted overt and institutionalized racism. An important chapter in the histories of both Black social movements and independent workplace organizing, this book demonstrates how Black firefighters in New York helped to create affirmative action from the "bottom up," while simultaneously revealing how white resistance to these efforts shaped white working-class conservatism and myths of American meritocracy.Full of colorful characters and rousing stories drawn from oral histories,
Absolutely stunning and flawless. Promoted to one of my all-time favorite books. I've no clue how the author wrote this, but it is absolutely incredible.