Join The National WWII Museum for a free teacher webinar in honor of Black History Month to learn more about the 1944 Port Chicago disaster.

On July 17, 1944, thousands of tons of munitions being loaded by Black sailors onto a cargo vessel bound for the Pacific theater detonated, causing a cataclysmic explosion at a naval base in Port Chicago, California, that killed 320 people and injured nearly 400 others. When survivors were ordered to resume loading operations under similarly unsafe conditions, hundreds refused and were court-martialed for disobeying orders.

During this webinar, educators will explore how the disaster revealed the unequal conditions faced by African American servicemembers during World War II and spurred challenges to segregation. The webinar will feature the story of the Port Chicago 50, a group of African American sailors stood up for justice and sparked national attention, laying the groundwork for the desegregation of the Navy and Armed Forces. Through storytelling, artifacts, and classroom-ready strategies, teachers will discover new ways to help students connect emotionally and intellectually with this pivotal moment in history. Master teachers will also share ideas for building historical empathy and guiding student research projects.