Andd the award for the first black woman to go into space goes to………Dr. Mae C Jemison. Jemison obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Standford University in 1977. She then attended Cornell University and received her Master’s Degree in 1981. She traveled to West Africa to teach and do medical research with the Peace Corps.
Once she made it back to the United States, she decided to switch careers, to an astronaut. In October of 1985, she applied to the NASA Astronaut Training Program. She reapplied in 1987 because of The Challenger Explosion put a delay on admissions. She was chosen June 4, 1987 and became the First Black Woman to be admitted in the program. She actually went to space, with 6 others, on September 12, 1992 and returned eight days later.
Jemison left the space program in 1993, and since then, it was been reported that she’s traveling and currently lives in Houston, Texas. Becoming an Astronaunt is like a childhood dream/fantasy, like becoming a cowboy or a basketball player. Well Jemison made her career a reality and proved that black people, especially women, can do ANYTHING.
Featured image photo credit: biography.com
Sources: biography.com
Danii Gold 