Pioneer TN Firefighter Shares Historic Journey

Luther Bradley, 91, had a wife and child and was looking for a better job when he joined the Knoxville Fire Department as one of its first African-American firefighters in 1952.

Jan. 23, 2019

When Luther Bradley, 91, joined the Knoxville, TN, Fire Department in 1952, he was married with a young child, and he was looking for a job with less traveling than his current employment as a brick mason.

"(My wife) wanted me to come home and help raise those kids, so I came home over the weekend and I read in the newspaper where they were going to be giving examinations for firemen," he told WATE-TV.

Joining Aug. 6, 1952, Bradley and 10 others became the first African-Americans hired by the Knoxville Fire Department.