Captain John Cheatham, the first black man named Minneapolis fire chief, will have a street named in his honor nearly 100 years after his exemplary service.
The new Cheatham Avenue, which was previously Dight Avenue, runs from East 34th Street to East 43rd Street on the south side of the city, as reported by KSTP.
Descendants of the legendary fire chief celebrated the honor last weekend after Thursday’s event. “He was born a slave in Missouri, and our family followed the Mississippi River to Minnesota,” said Alcindor Hollie, a great-great-great-great-nephew of Cheatham. 5 Eyewitness News.
Born a slave in 1855, Cheatham was one of 37 men sworn in on March 13, 1888, according to Friends of the Cemetery, a Minneapolis history website. He served as a firefighter at Fire Station 24 throughout his career, where he was sworn in as chief in 1899. He retired in 1911.
According to the site, Cheatham faced adversity at the end of his career when a petition circulated for him and two other black men to be replaced with whites ‘on principle’ after being assigned to run another barracks. of firefighters. However, Cheatham’s long and excellent record of service, and their own, halted those efforts via a second petition – this one in favor.
“We owe an immense debt of gratitude to Captain John Cheatham and his fellow black firefighters, who bravely stepped up to serve and protect the residents of our community, despite the endless racism and oppression they faced,” City Council member Andrew Johnson said. SQUARE 11. “To see John Cheatham’s name elevated not only serves as a reminder of his legacy, but also his example, which we must all follow.”
Johnson worked with members of the community to complete the application in Cheatham’s honor, and their results were nothing short of inspiring. As Keith Edmond, a current firefighter from Minneapolis, told KSTP, “We still have so many adversities to face, but he had even more at this time. So for him to accomplish what he did, it just inspired me to know that I can accomplish anything I set out to do.
“I think it’s time we started to uncover some of the accomplishments that African Americans have made in the city,” Edmond added, “and how that contributes to the city it is now.”
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