Black History Month: No Longer Hidden

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson

Left to right: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson at a NASA award ceremony

The real-life women portrayed in the movie Hidden Figures were instrumental in the success of the United States space program.

Mary Jackson worked for NASA from 1951 until 1985. She did important scientific and mathematical work, like Katherine Johnson, yet she also made her mark as a human resources manager tasked with EEOC responsibilities (Shetterly, 257-260). This is a quote from Mary’s obituary, written by Mary’s protégé and successor, Gloria Champine, “She was a role model of the highest character, and through her quiet, behind-the-scenes efforts managed to help many minorities and women reach their highest potential through promotions and movement into supervisory positions.” (Shetterly, 260).

Educated in mathematics, Katherine Johnson was responsible for calculations related to Mercury missions and the Apollo 11 and 13 missions. Ms. Johnson worked at NASA from 1953 until 1986, and she is still living today (Boyd, 2016). She received the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Obama, in 2015.

Dorothy Vaughan, a math whiz, and the third woman portrayed in the Hidden Figures movie, worked as a research mathematician and the section head of the group of women computers known as West Computing. Per a quote from the book Hidden Figures, “History would prove them all right: there was no one better qualified for the job [Head of the West Area Computers unit] than Dorothy Vaughan.” (Shetterly, p.92)

Additional links of interest for Hidden Figures women/women at NASA:
Women at Jet Propulsion Lab link: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/women/grid.html
Women at NASA link: https://women.nasa.gov/
Link to the movie production company’s website: http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/hidden-figures

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Sources:
Boyd, H. (2016, September 15-21). ‘Hidden Figures’ No More—Katherine Johnson and Mary Jackson of NASA. New York Amsterdam News. 107:38. pp. 28-31.

Shetterly, M. L. (2016). Hidden Figures. New York: William Morrow.

Black History Month-Pioneers in Space

History Maker-Dr. Guion Bluford, Jr.

(Photo by NASA)

The first African American to go into space was Dr. Guion Bluford, Jr. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. Dr. Bluford then entered the United States Air Force, and served as a pilot in Vietnam. He went on to earn a Master’s and a Ph.D. degree in aerospace engineering. “Dr. Bluford became an astronaut in 1979. . . and in 1983, Bluford became the first African American to go into space aboard the STS-8” (Asante, 61). Bluford, was among four men who became the first African American astronauts; the other three are: Dr. Ronald McNair, Major General Charles Bolden, Jr., and Frederick Gregory. Dr. Bluford attended the reinternment ceremony of explorer Matthew Henson, and he was among the NASA astronauts who attended the funeral of Dr. Ronald McNair.

For more information go to, NASA’s educational, All About Astronauts site. 

A Bold Move-Major General Charles Bolden, Jr.

(Photo by NASA)

A native of Columbia, S.C., Mr. Bolden became the first African American in charge of NASA’s space program. Before becoming the lead administrator at NASA, Mr. Bolden graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968, served in Vietnam, Kuwait, and Japan, earned a Master’s degree in systems management, and was a NASA astronaut for 14 years. In 1990, during his fourteen year term at NASA, Major General Bolden piloted the Space Shuttle Discovery. On this mission he and his team launched the Hubble Space Telescope. Major General Bolden became NASA’s 12^th administrator, the first African American to hold this position, in 2009.

Here is a video about Major General Bolden, presented by actor Levar Burton. 

Go to the link below to see Major General Bolden's flight suit. 

Major General Bolden’s flight suit at the National Museum for African American Culture and History

One of the Few, the Four-Frederick Gregory

(Photo by NASA)

Astronaut Frederick Gregory was born in the United States in Washington, D. C. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in science, and he went on to earn a master's degree in information systems (NASA, n.d.). Mr. Gregory became an astronaut in 1978 and worked for NASA until 2005 (NASA, n.d). Along with Dr. Bluford, Major General Bolden, and Dr. McNair, Mr. Gregory was one of the first four African-American astronauts.


A Brilliant Physicist-Dr. Ronald McNair

(Photo by NASA)

The accomplished Dr. McNair, one of the 7 astronauts who perished during the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, was the second African American to go into space and the first to die in space. Dr. McNair had a Ph.D. in Physics from MIT, and he excelled early on in life becoming valedictorian of his high school class (Cheers, 84). According to Ebony magazine, Dr. McNair was, “recognized nationally for his work in the field of laser physics” (Cheers, 84). In addition to his scientific pursuits, Dr. McNair played the saxophone and was a sixth degree black belt in karate. In a tribute to Dr. McNair in Ebony magazine, it was said that he, “walked humbly and never boasted about his achievements” (Cheers, 90). The Reverend Jesse Jackson, who was a friend of Dr. McNair’s, spoke at his funeral.

Go here to see an interview on CBS News with Dr. McNair’s widow.

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Sources:

Asante, M.K. (2002). 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia. New York: Prometheus Books. pp.61.

Cheers, D.M. (1986, May). Requiem for a Hero: ‘Touching the Face of God.’ Ebony. 41(7). pp. 82-94.

Joiner, L. (2009, Fall). Bold Moves. The Crisis. 116(4). pp. 22-27

Leavy, W. (1983). Lt. Co. Guion S. Bluford Jr. takes…A Historic Step Into Outer Space. Ebony, 39(1), pp. 162-168.

Myers, A. (2005). Bluford, Guion Stewart (Guy). In Appiah, K.A. & Gates, H.L., (eds).  Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience, 2nd. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 558.

NASA. (n.d.). NASA’s African-American Astronauts. Retrieved from:  https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/286592main_African_American_Astronauts_FS.pdf

United States Marine Corps. (2005, October 7). Official Biography for Charles Bolden, Jr. Retrieved from:

http://www.usmc.mil/genbios2.nsf/0/81BE83E89B03DDC88525680B000CC9F0?opendocument (1 of 2)10/7/2005 11:12:09 AM 

 

 

Black History Month: Star Gazer

Benjamin Banneker 

Benjamin Banneker, a self-taught astronomer with an aptitude for mathematics, also made a clock, worked as a farmer, wrote almanacs, and worked closely with Pierre L’Enfant and George Ellicott on the layout of Washington, D.C. Mr. Banneker came into the world as a free man in 1731, in the state of Maryland (Asante, 48). After his work in Washington D.C., Mr. Banneker produced almanacs that he sold in the United States and abroad (Asante, 49). Mr. Banneker died in 1806 (Asante, 48).

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Source: Asante, M.K. (2002). 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia. New York: Prometheus Books. pp. 48-49. 

Black History Month: First in (Space) Flight for an African American Woman

Dr. Mae Jemison

Dr. Mae Jemison, a physician and a NASA astronaut, graduated from high school and enrolled in college when she was sixteen-years-old. With undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering and African American Studies, and a medical degree from Cornell University, Dr. Jemison began her professional career doing non-profit medical work. She served in a refugee camp in Asia and as a medical officer in the countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia (Asante, 172). In 1992, she completed her astronaut training with NASA.  Then, in the same year, Dr. Jemison became the first African American woman to go into space on the Spacelab-J mission (Asante, 173).

For more information about Dr. Jemison, including her Twitter account, see the links and references included here :

Dr. Mae Jemison’s Twitter handle: @maejemison

The Jemison Foundation: http://www.jemisonfoundation.org/home.htm

Biography.com: http://www.biography.com/people/mae-c-jemison-9542378

NASA: https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/jemison-mc.html

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Sources:

Asante, M.K. (2002). 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia. New York: Prometheus Books. pp.172-173.

Marshall, M. (1989, August). Child of the 60s Set to Become First Black Woman in Space. Ebony. 44(10). pp. 50-55.

Black History Month

Hidden Figures: African-American Explorers and Innovators

The recent movie “Hidden Figures,” showcases the lives of African-American women employed by NASA whose efforts enabled the United States to enter and excel in the space race. These women, Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, among others, are by no means the only African-American women who have contributed to the United States space program, however. African-American men and women have contributed significantly in exploring space and other frontiers, like oceans and caves, laying the groundwork for exploration, and innovating to make our world a safer, more enjoyable place. Each day the library will feature one of these men or women so that they are no longer hidden figures. 

We have a display in the Library and Learning Resource Center to celebrate these "hidden figures." Come in and take a look, Here's some pictures to whet your appetite:

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