TULSA, Okla.–For decades, the bravery of Tulsa’s Black firefighters has been hidden behind smoke and silence. While their white counterparts were heralded as heroes, Black firemen often risked their lives without recognition, while also battling the flames of hate from racist Jim Crow laws.
Now, filmmaker and Greenwood native Keith “Sneak” Daniels is setting the record straight. His new documentary, “Fighting More Than Fire,” uncovers the overlooked legacy of Black firefighters in Tulsa, whose stories have long gone untold.
With a $30,000 grant backing the project, Daniels and his team have already interviewed more than 20 Black firefighters for a project that centers justice, memory, and the future. He plans to submit the documentary to major film festivals and forge partnerships with schools to ensure this legacy becomes part of the curriculum.
In an interview with The Black Wall Street Times, Daniels discussed the making of “Fighting More Than Fire”, why representation still lags in Tulsa’s fire department, and what it means to honor Black labor in a city still haunted by its past.
Q&A: New Keith Daniels film highlights Tulsa’s Black firefighters
Fresh off being in his creative bag producing film and music projects in L.A., Daniels returned to Tulsa just before the start of summer to research and begin filming a project he’s wanted to create for years. Through the support of 100 Black Men, Daniels was able to secure $30,000 in funding for the project.
He and his crew filmed over 20 Black male and female firefighters over a matter of weeks, capturing moments of history never before publicized.
Black Wall Street Times (BWST): Who did you interview for this film?
Keith Daniels (K.D.): “I’ve interviewed over 20 firemen—legendary firemen. Guys like Don and Ron Stevens, whose dad was one of the original six Black firemen in 1956. So, Blacks didn’t even get hired into the department until 1956, and they hired six of them. Those brothers were fighting Jim Crow.
They were stationed at Station 19, which was segregated at the time. So they had the Blacks on one side, whites on the other, with the fire truck right in the middle.
I’ve been doing a lot of research. I was interviewing people like Kevin Matthews, [Oklahoma state Rep.] Ronald Stewart Jr., Chief Leon Wilson, Kellen James, Chief Gerald Edwards, Captain Tarver—I mean, literally over 20 guys, right? And women, because we interviewed Cledella Evans-Stearns, the first Black female firefighter in Tulsa.”
How the film started close to home for Keith Daniels
Daniels’ relationships with first responders go back years, starting with his own brother and childhood friend, firefighter Walter Clark. Those conversations, plus a family connection that turned into a life-saving moment, planted the seeds of “Fighting More Than Fire”.
BWST: Where did you film, and what inspired this story?
K.D.: “We filmed at Station 24 out north—36th and Peoria. We followed Walter Clark, who’s a fireman there. We followed him out on some runs and got to see them put out a fire. And we filmed Osha Davis at Station 5 downtown. So, man, we’ve been in the mud.
And part of what inspired the film is that I have a close friend—Walter Clark at Station 24. He’s like a big brother to me. Him and my own brother—my brother was a TPD officer at the time. So this was like three or four years ago. I remember them always telling me their first responder stories, and I’m like, man, there’s some history here. There’s something in here. I think there’s a story.
This was before I even knew how to tell it or what to tell. I just started doing research on my own. That’s when I found out about the original six.
And another cool factor—you might know him—his name is James Walker. They call him “Big Daddy”. He’s a legend on the department. He was Fireman of the Year in 1997. He was the second Black man to win that award.
And he got it because he saved my mom’s life from a car wreck. This is real. In the fall of ’96, her car flipped over right by Station 24—36th Street, by the [former] Comanche Apartments. He was on his way to OSU, saw it happen, hopped out the car, rescued her, and just drove away.
She didn’t even know who he was. She put something out in the newspaper calling him her guardian angel. Word got around, and it turned out it was him. So he ended up getting that award in ’97. But even better than that—his friend group was so close to my dad’s. They didn’t even know it.”
Reclaiming trust and space in Tulsa’s fire department
For Daniels, the film is about preserving stories and shifting mindsets. In a city still grappling with the legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and systemic exclusion, “Fighting More Than Fire” pushes back against the silence. Daniels hopes his documentary will inspire Black youth to see themselves in roles long dominated by white men.
BWST: What action or new understanding do you want this film to inspire?
K.D.: “Well it’s a wild time, and it’s a wild place to tell this kind of story. You know, with the history of Tulsa, and how Black firefighters became really the firefighters for Greenwood and North Tulsa. Because they were the ones you could actually trust to show up and do something.
I mean, there are reports that firefighters just stood by during the [1921 Tulsa Race] massacre. I want young Black kids to know we can start maneuvering in these traditional white spaces. We shouldn’t be afraid to come in and get our placement, and the fire department is one of them. It’s similar to being a judge, or a football coach, or a quarterback, roles that were traditionally white, male-dominated. But now things are slowly changing.
And if you look at certain departments like Detroit, which has a lot of Black guys, we’re not Detroit. Here in Tulsa, we operate really low. Under 10%. We can at least get to where the population is. But I really want people to know it’s a great career. If you’re a service-led person, if you believe in helping people, you can truly make a difference.”
Tulsa’s Circle Cinema will show a private screening of “Fighting More Than Fire” on February 26, 2026. Watch the trailer below:
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