1944 Chicago Port Explosion

 During World War II black sailors were used to load ships with  bombs and some of it's most dangerous weapons (Only black sailors).  On July 17th, 1944, at Port Chicago, an explosion killed 332 people, most of them African Americans.   All of the sailors were asked to go back to work two weeks later.   Fifty of the 258 surviving sailors refused to load more bombs.  They organized and stop working August 9th, 1944.  They were ALL put on trial and found guilty of mutiny.  Through the efforts of of Thurgood Marshall, Eleanor Roosevelt and Joseph Small the men were released from prison after serving long prison sentences.  

The Smithsonian magazine recently highlighted the massive explosion and the story that changed the armed forces in an article entitled Half the Battle.

Update: Just this week (July 2024)  all soldiers were exonerated of all charges.  Read about it in Smithsonian Magazine.