U.S. Navy Exonerates Black WWII Sailors Convicted After Port Chicago Explosion

By Stacy M. Brown | NNPA (NNPA) – The U.S. Navy has exonerated 256 Black sailors wrongfully convicted after the catastrophic 1944 Port Chicago explosion. The move marks a significant victory in the long battle against racial injustice within the military. On July 17, 1944, during World War II, a massive explosion at a munition’s pier in Port Chicago, California, detonated over 4,600 tons of ammunition on a cargo ship. The blast killed 320 people, predominantly Black sailors, and injured around 400 others. According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, the explosion caused widespread damage, with shockwaves felt as far as Nevada. Following the explosion, white officers were given hardship leave, while Black sailors were ordered back to work, tasked with cleaning the devastated base and handling the remains of their comrades. Despite the lack of additional safety measures or clarity on the blast’s cause, 258 Black sailors refused to handle munitions. Under threat of disciplinary action, 208 returned to work but were still convicted of disobeying orders. The remaining sailors, known as the “Port Chicago 50,” were charged with mutiny and sentenced to dishonorable discharge, 15 years of confinement, demotion to the rank of E-1, and forfeiture of...