Four civil rights groups used Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday to call for stronger minority recuitment by the Raleigh Fire Department.
Representatives of the Triangle Urban League, the Raleigh/Apex and South Central Wake County chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Raleigh/Wake Citizens' Association said the city should activate a special committee that has been used in the past to boost diversity in the fire department.
"We, the city's African-American community, are saddened at the lack of diversity and inclusion within some of the ranks of city government and are outraged that it continues to persist," said Keith Sutton, president and chief executive of the Triangle Urban League.
Assistant Fire Chief Larry Stanford recently raised racial bias as a reason he was passed over for the chief's position after longtime chief Earl Fowler retired in December. The city chose a white official from the Philadelphia Fire Department for the post instead of Stanford, a 25-year veteran of the Raleigh Fire Department who is black.
Retired Raleigh firefighter Welton Jones also has campaigned for months for the department to recruit more minorities. Only 61 of the city's 498 firefighters are black, and of the 205 firefighters hired since 1998, only 20 were black.
City Manager Russell Allen has said race never plays a role in his hiring decisions, but he has acknowledged that bringing more diversity to the fire department is a priority.
Mayor Charles Meeker has said he supports Allen's hiring decisions, noting Allen previously brought on a female police chief and a black planning director.
Previous Stories:
- January 6, 2006: Mayor Defends Selection Of Raleigh Fire Chief
- January 5, 2006: Racism Alleged In Hiring Of Raleigh Fire Chief
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