Did you know that Concord is home to East Bay Parks’ newest regional park? In 2019, the U.S. Navy transferred over 2,500 acres of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station property to the East Bay Park District in order to establish a new regional park, now known as Thurgood Marshall Regional Park - Home of the Port Chicago 50. The park was named in honor of the former U.S. Supreme Court justice and civil rights leader, Thurgood Marshall, who was the attorney for the Port Chicago 50 – whose legal case set a critical precedent in the desegregation of the U.S. military (more on that below).

Thurgood Marshall Regional Park is set to be an enormous asset for Concord and the region. East Bay Parks is planning miles of new trails, picnic areas, camp sites, a national memorial visitor center in collaboration with the National Park Service, and much more (see graphic below). In short – there is a lot for us all to be excited about.

It’s going to take many years for East Bay Parks to fully develop the new regional park - dependent on the Navy’s clean-up timelines, coordination with the development of the rest of the Concord Naval Weapons Station property, and raising the funds for constructing new facilities.

East Bay Parks is taking a phased approach for park development, with plans to open a section of the park between Bailey Road and Kirker Pass to the public in the next few years, so we can all experience the beautiful oak-studded hills, wildflowers and incredible views of the park, even while the full park vision is being built out.

Honoring 80 Years Since the Port Chicago Disaster

This July 17 will be 80 years since the 1944 Port Chicago explosion - the largest homefront disaster of World War II, that killed 320 mostly African-American servicemen, and injured 390 more. Shortly following the disaster, the U.S. Navy charged 50 fifty black servicemen with mutiny after protesting continued unsafe working conditions and sent them to 15 years in federal prison.

NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall defended the sailors, who became known as the Port Chicago 50. Marshall’s high-profile legal appeal paved the way for the desegregation of the entire military and became a signature moment in the national civil rights movement. Thurgood Marshall later went on to win Brown vs. Board of Education that desegregated schools, and the U.S.’s first African-American Supreme Court Justice.

While history has recognized the bravery and leadership of the Port Chicago 50, sadly the U.S. Navy has still yet to exonerate the men.

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier and Congresswoman Barbara Lee continue to lead the exoneration effort in Washington D.C, and they, along with the families of the Port Chicago 50, East Bay Parks, and many others continue to advocate until justice for the Port Chicago 50 is finally delivered. Learn more about the Port Chicago 50 at East Bay Parks website.