Mutiny and Munitions: The Blast That Desegregated the Navy

During World War II, the United States Navy relied heavily on segregated African American sailors to perform the military's most dangerous, back-breaking labor: loading thousands of tons of high explosives onto cargo ships by hand. At Port Chicago in California, the officers prioritized loading speed over basic safety, treating the men as expendable machinery. In July 1944, the inevitable occurr...