Thurgood Marshall Regional Park - Home of the Port Chicago 50

Park Development

South of Bailey Road Public Access Project

Naming update (June 2021)

“Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50” is now the name of the new East Bay Regional Park at the site of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. The naming was approved unanimously by the Park District Board of Directors at its meeting on June 1, 2021.

NAACP civil rights lawyer and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, helped defend the 50 black sailors accused of mutiny after the devastating Port Chicago Naval Magazine blast on July 17, 1944. The explosion killed 320 men, mostly African American, and injured 390 more. It was the largest Homefront disaster of World War II. The military trial took place on Treasure Island in nearby San Francisco Bay from September 14 to October 24, 1944.

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Although the 50 sailors were found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison, Thurgood Marshall’s high-profile appeal paved the way for the desegregation of the entire U.S. military. Marshall went on to argue the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which led to school desegregation nationwide. He became the first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice in 1967 and served for 24 years.

The new parkland formerly known as the Concord Naval Weapons Station, part of the larger Port Chicago military complex, had been referred to as “Concord Hills Regional Park” during the planning process until the permanent naming was approved by the Board of Directors in June 2021.

• Brochure: EBRPD Support for  the Exoneration of the Port Chicago 50
• Video: “A Legacy of Civil Rights: Port Chicago / Concord Hills” 

About The Park

Located on the rolling grasslands of the Concord Hills and ancestral territory of the Chupcan Peoples, Thurgood Marshall Regional Park - Home of the Port Chicago 50 aims to share stories of social injustice and bravery, connect community, and offer protected space for both nature and people to heal.

The future park will include:

• A visitor center to feature local histories, including the 1944 Port Chicago Disaster that killed over 320 men, most of whom were Black sailors, the mutiny trial that ensued, and the fights for social justice and civil rights that led to the desegregation of the Navy.
• 3,000 acres of open space to connect Concord communities, made highly accessible with new public transit routes, public access points, and staging areas.
• Recreational opportunities, including camping, hiking, biking, and picnic areas.
• Protected habitats and wildlife corridors to support the many native species of the area.

Together, we will build Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50 to honor the past, protect the future, and provide access for all.

Even though the park is generally closed to the public, we still regularly hold naturalist-led programs and public tours. Keep an eye on our Events Calendar for upcoming events and programs!

• More information: Park Planning.
• Brochure: Concord Hills Regional Park: A Legacy of Landscape Transformation (2 pp.) [PDF]

In The News

• East Bay Times - Navy hands over part of old Concord weapons site for creation of huge regional park
• SF Gate - Navy turns over 2,200 acres for new East Bay regional park
• FOX2 (KTVU) - Plans for regional park at Concord Naval Weapons Station move forward
• NBC Bay Area - Navy Formally Turns Over Former Concord Naval Weapons Station Land for Park
• Channel 5 (KPIX) - Navy Turns Over Concord Weapons Station Land for New Regional Park
• Mercury News - Park at former East Bay weapons site could be named for Black Supreme Court justice