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2023 SESSION

23101631D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 694
Offered February 15, 2023
Commending Hartman Reed.
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Patrons-- Hope, Bennett-Parker, Lopez and Sullivan; Senators: Ebbin, Favola and Howell
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WHEREAS, for more than 70 years, Hartman Reed of Arlington has served and supported his fellow residents as both a dedicated firefighter and a hardworking business owner; and

WHEREAS, a native of Heidelberg, Pennsylvania, Hartman Reed served his country as a member of the United States Navy, then settled in the Commonwealth in the early 1950s; and

WHEREAS, at the time, many fire companies in the region refused to serve predominantly Black neighborhoods, which relied on all-volunteer departments, and in 1952, Hartman Reed became one of the first Black professional firefighters in the southern United States after Arlington County authorized the creation of Fire Station No. 8 in Halls Hill; and

WHEREAS, a few years later, another member of Fire Station No. 8, Buster Moten, established Crown Cab, a taxi service for local Black communities, and hired Hartman Reed as the company’s first driver; and

WHEREAS, Hartman Reed used his travels with Crown Cab to better familiarize himself with the region, allowing him to more efficiently respond to fires and other emergencies, and since local hospitals would not treat Black patients, he and the other drivers often used cabs to take Black residents to hospitals in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Hartman Reed and his wife purchased Crown Cab in 1974, and he subsequently retired from firefighting in 1979; their leadership helped expand the business, which served many high-profile clients over the years, including reporter Dan Rather, actor Richard Kiel, and the first Black woman elected to United States Congress, Shirley Chisholm; and

WHEREAS, Hartman Reed retired from driving cabs in 1992 and transitioned into an administrative role with Crown Cab, allowing other members to take a more active role in the company; and

WHEREAS, Hartman Reed’s legacy of service enhanced the lives of countless residents of Black neighborhoods in Arlington, and Crown Cab continues to provide accessible transportation to all members of the community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Hartman Reed for his decades of service to the Arlington community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Hartman Reed as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his personal and professional achievements.