WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — The Winston-Salem Fire Department is mourning the passing of an icon, retired Sgt. Robert Grier, who died at the age of 104, the department announced via a Facebook post on Saturday.
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Grier was one of the initial group of Black firefighters hired on March 1, 1951, making Winston-Salem one of the first cities in North Carolina to integrate its fire department during the Jim Crow era, according to a June 28, 2021, article from Kernersville Magazine reflecting on his 99th birthday.
Grier was one of eight selected from 120 applicants who applied to the department. He would go on to proudly serve the department and his community for 31 years as a firefighter.
Representatives from the Winston-Salem Fire Department said that his courage, dedication, and commitment to serving others set a standard that helped shape the department and paved the way for generations of firefighters…