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Posts Tagged: segregation

Port Chicago – Desegregation of the US Navy

Monday, July 29, 2019 by Sarah Sundin
In the worst Home Front disaster of World War II, an explosion at the Naval Magazine in Port Chicago, California on July 17, 1944 killed 320 men, of whom 202 were black. The tragedy was followed by a work stoppage and a controversial mutiny trial. This sent ripples of change through the segregated armed forces. These events are included in my third novel, Blue Skies Tomorrow. This is the last in a five-part series on... Read Article

The Port Chicago Disaster – Introduction

Monday, July 1, 2019 by Sarah Sundin
  In the worst Home Front disaster of World War II, an explosion at the Naval Magazine in Port Chicago, California on July 17, 1944 killed 320 men, of whom 202 were black. The tragedy was followed by a work stoppage and a controversial mutiny trial. This sent ripples of change through the segregated armed forces. Despite its significance, few people have heard about Port Chicago. I included these events in my th... Read Article

Lessons from the 1940s – Liberty and Justice for All?

Monday, May 10, 2010 by Sarah Sundin
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Mess Attendant Second Class Doris “Dorie” Miller (pictured in the poster) was collecting laundry on board the USS West Virginia in Pearl Harbor. The Japanese attacked. The alarm for general quarters sounded, and Miller reported to his battle station, an antiaircraft battery amidships. It had already been destroyed. A heavyweight boxer, Miller carried wounded sailors to ... Read Article