Black Excellence Spotlight: Niani Skinner, FDNY

THE MELANIN PEARLS PODCAST by Yvette Schmitter and Ericka Shoulars

Episode notes

In this episode, we will shine a light on Niani Skinner who joined the ranks of FDNY in 2019. There are more than 11,000 firefighters and fire officers in the New York Fire Department, making it the nation’s largest. Black women have played a major role in the fire service ever since the 1800’s when a slave named Molly Williams served as a volunteer firefighter in New York City. African American women continue to play a significant role in the fire service nationwide. Today, there’s a total of 134 women in FDNY comprising of 1% of the 10,000 fire fighters. This episode we shine a light on Niani to hear about her trail to Black excellence.

Black excellence.