A blast killing more than 300 sailors, injuring off-duty men, shook Port Chicago, California. Men refused to go back to work until biased and hazardous conditions at the docks were addressed. Fifty were charged with mutiny and were facing years of jail time. This captivating story of the prejudice that tackled African American men in America's armed forces during World War II; a look at those who gave their lives in the service of a country where they lacked the most basic human rights. Therefore, bringing about an era of change.
Equality was an important key in the theme of this novel. In the early parts of the novel they were treated like animals
One internal conflict that occurred throughout the novel was the fact that they were emotionally harassed and degraded by their lieutenants. In the text it states, "Treating black sailors like second-class citizens damaging the morale of the men, leading to headaches like the ongoing trial on Treasure Island." The plot was greatly affected in a way of suggesting that these brave and courageous were emotionally beaten and endured much pain just to serve a country they loved.
…show more content…
The fifty men refused to return to work because of the terrible work conditions. As the war came to a close, changes to the loading procedures finally came, ironically mostly due to the Port Chicago explosion and protest.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book just because I'm not really into nonfiction books. However, my bias didn't stop me from learning what these men had to go through to finally gain their rights as armed men in the U.S.