Residents of San Francisco, the East Bay, and the adjacent town of Port Chicago were jolted awake by a massive explosion that cracked windows and lit up the sky when ammunitions being loaded into two ships accidentally detonated. Everyone within 1,000 feet of the loading dock perished including 300 men, the majority of whom were African American.
In 2009, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial was established as the 392nd unit of the National Park Service honoring those who lost their lives or were affected by the July 17, 1944 explosion. The disaster and its aftermath illuminated the issues of segregation and racial inequality in the military, and today the memorial serves as a springboard for exploring social justice in our society.
Please join us for a presentation on Wednesday, July 2nd at 2:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the Lafayette Library & Learning Center.
Independent Historian Wayne Korsinen will discuss the history of the town of Port Chicago before and after the 1944 explosion.
National Park Service Supervisory Museum Curator Isabel Ziegler will discuss the establishment and mission of Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial.
Leave a Reply