The Friends of Port Chicago has been working collaboratively for years with the National Park Service to expand the recognition of the Memorial by seeking to ( 1) convert the Memorial from an “affiliated” unit to a full, official unit of the NPS, and (2) promote greater public awareness of the events surrounding the tragedy and the historical significance of the mutiny trial as a catalyst for civil rights in our country.
The land reuse project at MOTCO (formerly the Concord Naval Weapons Station and formerly Port Chicago Naval Magazine) provides a unique opportunity to establish a Visitor & Interpretive Center to honor the history of Port Chicago and to promote and expand the public’s recognition of that history. We look forward to continuing working with the NPS and EBRPD to establish a Visitor & Interpretive Center that would include the following elements:
- Exhibits of maps, original artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia from Port Chicago explosion and from survivors;
- A space for audiovisual presentations, as well as other interpretive exhibits on the history and significance of the Port Chicago explosion and its impact on our nation’s civil rights history;
- Classrooms for presentations, lectures and learning;
- A small space for quiet remembrance and meditation, which could be used to display the commemorative stainedglass windows from the Port Chicago Memorial Chapel;
- A staging area for shuttle bus service to the existing Memorial site, as well as to recreational trails and other nearby amenities sewing the community.
Contact Friends of Port Chicago Board President Rev. Diana McDaniel to learn how you can help!
