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Board proclaims July 17 as Port Chicago Remembrance Day; local advocates, supervisors highlight exoneration of Port Chicago 50
Summary
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors proclaimed July 17, 2025, Port Chicago Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the U.S. Navy's exoneration of the Port Chicago 50. Survivors’ descendants and local leaders said the proclamation affirms the county’s commitment to remembering racial injustice and preserving local history.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on July 8 proclaimed July 17, 2025, as Port Chicago Remembrance Day, honoring sailors who died or were prosecuted after the 1944 Port Chicago explosion and recognizing the recent exoneration of the Port Chicago 50 by the U.S. Navy.
Supervisor Chanel Scales‑Preston introduced the proclamation and invited Yulee Padmore of the Port Chicago Alliance to speak. Padmore, executive director of the Port Chicago Alliance, thanked the board for the proclamation and framed last year’s exoneration as “a long overdue justice.” She told the board the community would continue to preserve the event’s history through school programs and public outreach.
Nut graf: The board’s proclamation memorializes both the 1944 explosion at the Concord Naval Weapons Station and the decades‑long effort by families and advocates that culminated in a recent, formal exoneration of sailors convicted after the disaster. Supervisors from across the dais praised the community and federal lawmakers for advancing the exoneration and said the county will continue to support remembrance and education efforts.
Board comments and community recognition
Supervisor Ken Carlson noted the project’s long history and the role of local advocates, including descendants and the Friends of Port Chicago, in pressing for recognition and remembrance. Several supervisors recalled visiting the site and supporting legislative efforts that led to the exoneration. Many speakers said the story—one of wartime deaths compounded by segregation and subsequent convictions—deserves continued public attention and education.
Padmore and other community members present thanked the board for the proclamation; supervisors joined Padmore and other supporters for a photograph following the ceremony.
Ending note
The proclamation was framed as both an act of remembrance and a recommitment to “a future where no service or sacrifice is diminished because of the color of their skin,” language drawn from the board’s adopted resolution and echoed by local advocates during the meeting.
