Firefighter

Herman Williams Jr with James Hall

ISBN 10: 1588250067 / ISBN 13: 9781588250063

Published by Mountain Movers Press / Hay House, USA, 2002

About this Item

As a boy, Herman Williams, Jr., and his family fled Harlem in the middle of the night when the infamous riots erupted. But that was only the first in a number of hardships that he would have to endure throughout his extraordinary life.Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, Williams encountered racism and ignorance on a continual basis, but it really hit home when, as one of the first black streetcar operators in the city, he was subjected to humiliating verbal and physical abuse by passengers and members of the public.A few years later, after joining the Baltimore Fire Department, Williams worked side-by-side (risking life and limb) with the same firemen who refused to let him eat at the same table with them. Yet, he refused to give up, struggling through 40 years of discrimination and staggering obstacles to become the first African-American fire chief of a major U.S. city.By the time Williams retired in 2000, he had been at the helm of the fire department for eight years. During that time, he was instrumental in the giveaway of 70,000 smoke detectors to city residents, an act that is credited with reducing the number of fires in the city by more than half in 1999. During Williams's tenure, the city of Baltimore also set record lows in the number of fire deaths.A richly portrayed tale of heroism, family devotion, and personal triumph, Firefighter is a fascinating and motivational story about a man who refuses to accept anything short of his dreams.(less)Hardcover, 320 pagesPublished February 1st 2002 by Mountain MoversMore Details.edit detailsGet a copy:KoboOnline Stores ?Librariessponsored books 291 pages. Illustrated with colour photographs. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: 1-2 kilos. Category: Biography; Biography & Autobiography; ISBN: 1588250067. ISBN/EAN: 9781588250063. Inventory No: 232975.

Seller Inventory # 232975

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Firefighter
• Publisher: Mountain Movers Press / Hay House, USA
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1588250067
• ISBN 13: 9781588250063
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Biography

About this title

Synopsis

The first African American fire chief of a major U.S. city recounts his struggle against--and eventual triumph over--the racial discrimination he faced for decades while working a series of jobs in public transportation, public works, and firefighting.

Reviews

This candid autobiography recounts the career of the first African American fire chief of a major U.S. city (and father of television talk-show host Montel Williams). Williams's personal recollections of middle-class African American life in Harlem and then Baltimore from the late 1930s to the present reveal a struggle for pride amidst everyday racial humiliations. Williams recounts his pioneer trail of jobs in public transportation, public works, and firefighting with clarity and intensity, although at times unnecessary details interfere with the main themes. Nevertheless, he remains forthright about his emotional responses, even in unflattering or scandalous situations. Offering a dose of fatherly advice, he reveals not only the inside view of firefighting but also the mechanics of political power in a large city. Recommended for public library collections emphasizing African American history and life. Paula R. Dempsey, DePaul Univ. Lib., Chicago

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.