On July 17, 1944, a devastating munitions explosion at Port Chicago in California killed 320 men, 202 of whom were African-American. While white officers were granted leave, African- American soldiers, who had received no training in handling heavy ammunition, were ordered to return to work with no safeguards in place.
Fearing for their lives, 50 men refused. They were unjustly convicted of Mutiny and received lengthy prison sentences. Determined to bring attention to this failure to provide equal protection, Black History and Education Resources Center (BHERC) began working with the survivors and other Black men who served at Port Chicago. A national search identified 57 of the men, and a support group was established to bring recognition to their service and to their fight for justice.
For years, BHERC and the men sent letters to three sitting Presidents, various Congressmen, and other elected officials. In 2024, one year after the last known survivor passed away, the U.S. Navy fully exonerated 256 Black sailors who were unjustly court-martialed following the 1944 explosion. This action honored the memory of these men and was a victory for their families and for everyone who fought for their cause. In recognition of her role in supporting the men in their decades-long fight, one of the pens used to sign the exoneration documents was gifted to Sandra Evers-Manly.
