Standing Tall
Willie Long & the Mare Island Original 21ers
A Legacy of Courage, Activism, and Social Justice
An important, yet long unknown story about the civil rights movement is now brought to life through Jake Sloan’s inspiring firsthand, well-researched account of the courage and activism of a brave group of African American men working at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California during the 1960s.

The Mare Island Original 21/25
"Across the country, there are unmarked graves of unsung heroes and heroines who represent countless acts of resistance which stand as testaments to the enduring struggle of African American people in the struggle for equality, democracy and economic justice. Standing Tall: The Mare Island Original 21ers, is a monument that brings to light a virtually unknown group of men who made history by standing up for what was right and just."
— Leonard McNeil, former council member and mayor of the City of San Pablo, California, retired political science professor at Contra Costa College, and retired union iron worker in Local #378
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"There was a Martin Luther King movement at that time. There was an uproar throughout the nation at that time in trying to get equality. And I said to myself, 'If these people in the South can die for what they believe in, certainly I can put this little job on the line for what I believe in,' "
— Willie Long, Sr., leader of the Mare Island Original 21/25
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Standing Tall: Willie Long & The Mare Island Original 21ers
An important, yet long unknown story about the civil rights movement is now brought to life through Jake Sloan’s inspiring firsthand, well-researched account of the courage and activism of a brave group of African American men working at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California during the 1960s..