Port Chicago Mutiny: 50 Black Sailors Court-Martialed for Refusing Unsafe Duty

After the July 17 explosion, 258 Black sailors refuse to return to loading ammunition in the same unsafe conditions. 208 are given summary punishment. 50 refuse again and are court-martialed for mutiny, facing potential death sentences. Thurgood Marshall attends the trial and writes a scathing report documenting racial discrimination in the Navy. All 50 are convicted; sentences range from 8 to 15 years. The case becomes a catalyst for desegregating the Navy.