Navy Exonerates 256 Black Sailors Convicted After 1944 Port Chicago Explosion

The exoneration comes on the 80th anniversary of the disaster that highlighted racial injustices in the military.

The explosion at Port Chicago killed 320 people, most of whom were Black sailors, and injured 400 others.
Black sailors were ordered back to work without safety measures, leading to their refusal and subsequent convictions.
Civil rights leaders and families have long fought for the sailors' exoneration, which was finally achieved this week.
The Navy's investigation cited significant legal errors and racial discrimination in the original court-martial proceedings.
President Biden and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro praised the sailors' courage and the long-overdue justice.