A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and historically Black colleges or universities is opening the eyes of students of color who never pictured themselves fighting forest fires.
Wildland firefighter students from Alabama A&M and Tuskegee universities listen during a wildland firefighter training Friday, June 9, 2023, in Hazel Green, Ala. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and four historically Black colleges and universities is opening the eyes of students of color who had never pictured themselves as fighting forest fires. – Before starting college, Taylor Mohead had never been outside her hometown of Houston, Texas.
The on-site fire academy is part of the 1890 Land Grant Institution Wildland Fire Consortium, a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and a cluster of HBCUs comprised of Florida A&M University, Southern University in Louisiana, Tuskegee University and Alabama A&M University.and minorities remain underrepresented in forestry and firefighting.
The consortium is building on top of a decadeslong relationship between Alabama A&M and the Forest Service. A USDA Forest Service Center of Excellence in Forestry was created at the school in 1993 to prepare students for jobs with the agency. Black fire personnel have remained mostly around 1.3%. Black women make up around half a percent. The number of Hispanic staff has grown by 10%. Native Americans/Alaska Natives and Asians linger around 3% and 1%, respectively. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders make up less than 1%.
“As the school year progressed, that’s when more information about the FireDawgs presented itself,” Massey said in between running around in fire gear. “I wanted to just have experience and be able to make the most out of my college experience because I wasn’t just going back for fun. I was going back for a purpose.”
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