Join the Port Chicago Alliance for the Port Chicago Weekend July 17-20. This is a four-day festival held across various Bay Area cities, featuring music, art, food, education, and commemoration.
Thursday, July 17
- 9:30 am Remember & Honor: The Fallen Soldiers of Port Chicago (1300 Sneath Ln, San Bruno, CA 94066)
Hosted by Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) | Free & Open to the Public. Join Sandra Evers-Manly and BHERC for their annual remembrance of the Port Chicago tragedy and the justice that came 80 years later!“Remember & Honor: The Fallen Soldiers of Port Chicago” is a powerful remembrance program to honor the lives lost in the Port Chicago disaster of July 17, 1944. This free public gathering takes place at the final resting place of many Sailors who perished that day — some of whom were laid to rest beneath headstones marked only “Unknown Sailor.”
Each year on this solemn anniversary, we gather at the cemetery not only to pay our respects, but to tell the stories behind those anonymous markers, to restore names, voices, and dignity to the young men whose identities were lost to history and whose memory deserves to be preserved.
“Remember & Honor” is a call to remembrance, a tribute to sacrifice, and a step toward justice through recognition. All are welcome to join us in bearing witness and honoring these fallen heroes.
- 12:00 pm: Port Chicago 50 Trial: A Civil Rights Turning Point (1 Avenue of the Palms San Francisco, CA 94130)
In this live presentation at the Treasure Island Museum, you’ll explore the lasting impact of the 1944 Port Chicago disaster and the historic trial of 50 Black American Sailors wrongfully charged with mutiny for standing up against dangerous and discriminatory working conditions. You’ll learn how the trial became a turning point in the struggle for civil rights in our nation, and join in community reflections on its continuing resonance through issues we still face today. Then visit the trial site and enjoy spectacular 360 degree Bay views atop nearby Yerba Buena Island.
- 3:00 pm: Port Chicago Legacies: Reflections of Advocacy (659 14th St, Oakland, CA 94612)Port Chicago Alliance and African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) introduce this powerful program featuring the debut performance of the “Port Chicago Anthem” by Dee Dee Simon of America’s Got Talent, a performance from the Pride of Pittsburg Nayeli Roman, and includes a panel line-up about the history and ongoing need for Port Chicago advocacy.
Friday, July 18
- 8:15 am: Port Chicago Weekend Wellness Walk (South of Bailey Rd. Gate Concord, CA)Note — This event has reached full capacity and we are no longer accepting registrations. Please check back for updates on future events.
In partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District, Port Chicago Alliance invites you to a powerful community wellness walk at Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50. In collaboration with Outdoor Afro and Delta Veterans Group, this event offers a unique opportunity to reflect on history, connect with community, and explore the future of this historic landscape through movement, storytelling, and shared purpose. This guided hike will nourish both body and mind as we honor the legacy of the Port Chicago Sailors, reflect on the site’s deep historical significance, and share exciting plans for the future of the park. Along the trail, participants will hear from local leaders, historians, and community partners about efforts to preserve this national story and promote healing through nature. Whether you’re walking for wellness, remembrance, or inspiration, we welcome you to take these future steps with us.
- 12:00 pm: Youth Creativity Circle (1970 Diamond Blvd, Concord, CA 94520)
An afternoon of reflection and youth-led readings that uplift community and open space for healing, creativity, and shared imagination in the ongoing journey toward justice.
- 2:00 pm: Sign My Name To Freedom (Documentary) (1970 Diamond Blvd, Concord, CA 94520)
A short work-in-progress documentary film sample about iconic National Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin, her hidden life as a singer/songwriter and a civil rights pioneer in California, and her journey to re-explore her music sixty years later.For over 50 years, Betty Reid Soskin held a secret. Deep in her closet, she’d hidden a box of reel-to-reel tapes with dozens of stunning original songs that narrate her personal journey through the 1960s and 1970s. For decades, she’d been too afraid to confront the emotional baggage that went along with her music, so she buried it away.
With no clear sense for what the future would hold, she decided to open the box and dive back into her songs. That sparked an autobiographical journey to re-explore the personal experiences behind her songs.
In her collaboration with the next generation of Bay Area musicians, Betty’s songs converge past and present through their exploration of race, identity, and what it means to be American.
Betty’s music is a haunting flashback to her family’s experiences confronting Jim Crow segregation in California. As the first African-Americans to integrate in an all-white suburb of San Francisco, her son survived being stoned by white children, and her family endured daily bigotry that left permanent scars.
The film follows Betty’s journey from the first time she listens to her old tapes, through her collaborations with younger musicians, and culminates with her singing of one of her songs to a crowd of thousands backed by a full symphony orchestra and choir. but only after confronting the deep personal traumas that had kept her from her music for so long.
Image provided by Port Chicago Weekend
- 8:00 pm: Gyedu-Blay Ambolley LIVE! (Cornerstone Berkeley)
International music legend Gyedu-Blay Ambolley joins Port Chicago Weekend in a powerful celebration of diasporic pride, resilience, and cultural empowerment. A pioneer of Ghanaian highlife and Afro-jazz fusion, Gyedu Blay Ambolley’s music has long championed the spirit of liberation and self-determination—values deeply aligned with the legacy of the Port Chicago Sailors.A musical luminary hailing from Ghana, West Africa, Ambolley has a staggering 29 albums under his belt. Known affectionately as the “Simigwa Do Man,” Ambolley’s musical journey began in the vibrant port city of Sekondi-Takoradi, in the Western Region of Ghana. His early fascination with music blossomed into a lifelong passion. From mastering his father’s flute at the tender age of eight, to honing his guitar skills under the mentorship of “Uncle Bonku”, Sammy Lartey and Ebo Taylor, Ambolley’s musical odyssey has been nothing short of extraordinary. This all led to Ambolley becoming a musical life force and exploding on the scene in 1973 with a jazzy highlife sound called ‘SIMIGWA-DO’. His name has become synonymous with Simigwa music and dance.
Coming of age amidst the zenith of Ghana’s highlife era, Ambolley emerged as a pivotal figure in its evolution, lending his talents to esteemed bands such as Houghas Extraordinaires, Meridians Of Tema and Ghana Broadcasting Band. It was during this time that he caught the attention of his compatriot and friend, Ebo Taylor, who recruited Ambolley to be a member of the Uhuru Dance Band. This all lead to a transformative journey to Nigeria in 1973, where they shared the stage with the legendary Fela Kuti at his renowned Shrine venue. Ambolley’s voice amplifies the global call to honor Black service, reckon with injustice, and celebrate the enduring power of Black history and culture. — tickets, click here
Saturday, July 19
- 10:00 am: Port Chicago Commemoration
Join us to commemorate the 81st Anniversary of the Port Chicago Disaster on July 19th, 2025 at 10am. Each person in your party will need to make a reservation for this event using our form and provide the following information for access to the military base: First name, Middle name, Last name, Date of birth, Driver’s license number and state of issue (please use 2 letter initials, i.e. CA for California) — register, click here - 6:00 pm: Black Birders Justice Walk for Port Chicago 50 (457 Fifth St. Vallejo, CA)Join Mei-Hua Gee, Julian Nesbitt and Outdoor Afro at Lake Dalwigk for a reflective Black Birding experience that goes beyond nature observation—it’s a celebration of legacy, resilience, and justice. This special event honors the Port Chicago Sailors, a group of African American servicemen who, in 1944, bravely protested unsafe and discriminatory working conditions following a deadly explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Contra Costa County.
Sunday, July 20
- 10:00 am: Red Oak Victory Ship Tour (1337 Canal Blvd., Berth 5 Richmond, California 94804)Explore a piece of Bay Area history with Port Chicago Alliance and Red Oak Victory! Join us for a free tour of this World War II-era Victory Ship, built in Richmond and later loaded with ammunition at Port Chicago in January 1945. – important details, click here. Note: Red Oak Victory crew will be onsite with limited capacity to assist guests. Please use caution and navigate the ship at your own discretion.
- 11:00 am: Sign My Name To Freedom (Documentary) (1337 Canal Blvd., Berth 5 Richmond, California 94804)A short work-in-progress documentary film sample about iconic National Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin, her hidden life as a singer/songwriter and a civil rights pioneer in California, and her journey to re-explore her music sixty years later. The film will be screened aboard the historic Red Oak Victory Ship.
For over 50 years, Betty Reid Soskin held a secret. Deep in her closet, she’d hidden a box of reel-to-reel tapes with dozens of stunning original songs that narrate her personal journey through the 1960s and 1970s. For decades, she’d been too afraid to confront the emotional baggage that went along with her music, so she buried it away.
With no clear sense for what the future would hold, she decided to open the box and dive back into her songs. That sparked an autobiographical journey to re-explore the personal experiences behind her songs.
In her collaboration with the next generation of Bay Area musicians, Betty’s songs converge past and present through their exploration of race, identity, and what it means to be American.
Betty’s music is a haunting flashback to her family’s experiences confronting Jim Crow segregation in California. As the first African-Americans to integrate in an all-white suburb of San Francisco, her son survived being stoned by white children, and her family endured daily bigotry that left permanent scars.
The film follows Betty’s journey from the first time she listens to her old tapes, through her collaborations with younger musicians, and culminates with her singing of one of her songs to a crowd of thousands backed by a full symphony orchestra and choir. but only after confronting the deep personal traumas that had kept her from her music for so long.
- 12:00 pm: Victory Pints for Port Chicago (1001 Canal Blvd, Richmond, CA 94804)Victory Pints for Port Chicago is a spirited celebration honoring the legacy of the Port Chicago Sailors and Richmond’s proud labor history—from the Kaiser Shipyards to Rosie the Riveters. Hosted in partnership with East Brother Beer Co. at their Richmond taproom, this event features live music, craft beer, and local food in tribute to the workers who powered the WWII home front. Join us to raise a glass to the enduring spirit of solidarity, sacrifice, and service.
For more information, visit: www.portchicagoweekend.org
