Almost 80 years after the Port Chicago explosion, there is a push to rectify a terrible wrong and recognize the heroism and courage of Black sailors.
On July 17, 1944, at 10:19 PM, a massive explosion rocked the Bay Area. The blast occurred at the Naval Munitions Depot in the East Bay, near a little town called Port Chicago. And on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the explosion, there are renewed calls from the loved ones, friends, and contemporaries of the Black sailors stationed there to rectify a terrible wrong and to recognize their heroism and courage. The explosion killed 320 men, most of them were African American sailors.
The Black sailors did not have a USO, and if they went to relax in San Francisco, the staff at bars and restaurants would not serve them.At Port Chicago, they were not allowed to sleep in the main barracks and had to eat in the mess hall only after the white sailors were finished. While some officers showed the Black sailors respect, most did not. 'They were not able to go the bathroom on the same ships they were loading.
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