San Francisco street to be renamed in honor of the city's first Black firefighter

For twelve years Earl Gage Jr. was San Francisco's only Black firefighter.

Gage was hired by the San Francisco Fire Department in 1955 at age 28 after graduating from UC Berkeley. During his time at the department Gage pushed to improve racial diversity, despite facing a torrent of racial abuse from his colleagues.

Gage will now be memorialized in the city's Western Addition, after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to name a block-long street in the city after him last week. The section of Willow Street between Buchanan and Laguna Streets is to be renamed Earl Gage Jr. Street.