St. Paul Finally Honors the Godette Brothers With a Permanent Statue: A Long-Overdue Tribute to the City's Pioneering Black Firefighters
City officials, family members and community members gathered inside the William and Alfred Godette Memorial Building in St. Paul to unveil a new statue by artist Seitu Jones honoring William Godette, the city's first African American firefighter, and his brother Alfred, who died in the line of duty, marking a long-overdue moment of permanent recognition for two men whose legacy had been largely invisible for generations.
For years, the only way the Godette brothers were honored inside St. Paul’s fire headquarters was a cardboard poster on an easel that was often moved around. That changed this weekend.
City officials, members of the Godette family, and community members gathered inside the William and Alfred Godette Memorial Building at West Seventh Street and Randolph Avenue to unveil a new statue honoring the brothers, created by local artist Seitu Jones. The dedication marks a long-overdue moment of permanent recognition for two men whose legacy had been largely forgotten for far too long.
In 1885, William Godette became St. Paul’s first African American firefighter. Over a career spanning more than 40 years, he rose through the ranks to become a captain, a milestone that speaks not only to his skill and dedication but to his determination to succeed in an institution that had never before made room for someone who looked like him. His brother Alfred followed him into the department and gave everything to it, dying in the line of duty in the 1920s.
Deputy Chief Jamie Smith acknowledged the painful history that ran alongside their service. Black firefighters were often sent to the worst fires, the chemical fires, the junkyard fires, the assignments no one else wanted. They persevered through those conditions, building a legacy that was largely invisible for generations.
“That legacy was largely forgotten for many years,” artist Seitu Jones said.
Jones described the piece as a memorial not just for the two brothers, but for all Black firefighters whose struggle was never fully recognized. The statue is made from two layers of mild steel on the outside and stainless steel on the inside, with carvings of Jones’ drawings of the brothers.
“It was always my idea to create something that would represent the shadows of these folks who came before,” Jones said. “So that every time you walk in this building, you would stand in their shadows.”
Friday’s dedication builds on recognition that began in 2010, when the newly built fire headquarters was named the William and Alfred Godette Memorial Building. But naming a building after them was just the beginning. A statue, permanent and visible, is a different kind of statement. It says these men belong here. It says they always did.
The Godette brothers walked through those doors when no one had done it before them. St. Paul is finally making sure the world knows their names.