San Francisco pays tribute to city's first Black firefighter, Earl Gage Jr., 60 years later

Trailblazing Black firefighter honored in San Francisco

A mural, featuring Earl Gage Jr., San Francisco's first black firefighter was unveiled Friday at a local elementary school.

SAN FRANCISCO - On a bright sunny day at Rosa Parks Elementary School, another civil rights icon was honored. A mural, featuring Earl Gage Jr., San Francisco's first Black firefighter was officially unveiled.

Fire Captain Sherman Tillman was instrumental in getting the mural and a nearby street named in honor of the trailblazing man.

"We all, Black, Latino, Asian, women, LGBTQ, all stand on his shoulders because before Earl Gage Jr. there wasn't any minorities in the fire department," said Captain Tillman.

Gage Jr. Started in the department in 1955, the same year Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus. He also struggled with racial prejudice, with his fellow firefighters threatening to throw him off a roof, and threatening his family. He spent years having to bring his own mattress to station houses because none of the other firefighters would share with a Black man.

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His daughter was on hand for the dedication and says for 12 years her father stood as the only Black firefighter on the job, and carried the burden of paving the way for those who would follow.

"He accepted the challenge behind it," said Dr. Blondell Gage. "But, at the same time he shared that, yes, he struggled with continuing forward and with the pressures of being the only black firefighter for so long."

Among those who followed Gage Jr., was San Francisco's first Black fire chief, Robert Demmons, who was on hand to reflect on the path gage had cleared for him and others.

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"It took me a long time to really realize how much courage and strength it really required for Earl to stay in there in spite of all of the things he was being subjected to," said Demmons

Now the mural and a nearby street named for Earl Gage Jr. will stand as reminder for the students of Rosa Parks Elementary and the city that sometimes heroism isn't just running into a burning building, it's having the courage take a stand for equality and for your convictions.