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MAE JEMISON IS FIRST IN SPACE
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.”
—Emily Dickinson
When Star Trek took to the small screen in the 1960s, it not only introduced concepts of space exploration, it crossed a barrier by involving minorities in major leadership roles on the starship Enterprise. For young Mae Jemison, the role of Lieutenant Uhura was particularly exciting. As an African-American girl interested in science and space, she found no role models in the all-white and all-male astronauts going into space. Yet, in the fictional world of Star Trek, she found a like mind. When Mae graduated from high school, she entered Stanford and received degrees in chemical engineering and African-American history. Following her undergraduate studies, she earned a medical degree from Cornell.
Mae’s interests extend beyond the scientific. She served with the Peace Corps in Africa, has learned three foreign languages (Russian, Swahili, and Japanese), and is an accomplished amateur dancer. In 1985, Dr. Jemison interviewed at NASA and received encouragement from Robert McNair, one of the first African-American astronauts. Mae was accepted as an astronaut candidate in 1987 and in September 1992 became the first African-American woman in space. Each day she began her work shift quoting Lieutenant Uhura’s words, “Hailing frequencies open!” Since her stint aboard the space shuttle, Dr. Jemison has often taken time from her busy work schedule to speak to children and encourage them to follow their dreams.
CONSIDER THIS: America is a land of many opportunities, but they are not given to you without cost. You often must struggle, study hard, and overcome substantial obstacles to realize your own American Dream.
Submitted by Richard
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.”
—Emily Dickinson
When Star Trek took to the small screen in the 1960s, it not only introduced concepts of space exploration, it crossed a barrier by involving minorities in major leadership roles on the starship Enterprise. For young Mae Jemison, the role of Lieutenant Uhura was particularly exciting. As an African-American girl interested in science and space, she found no role models in the all-white and all-male astronauts going into space. Yet, in the fictional world of Star Trek, she found a like mind. When Mae graduated from high school, she entered Stanford and received degrees in chemical engineering and African-American history. Following her undergraduate studies, she earned a medical degree from Cornell.
Mae’s interests extend beyond the scientific. She served with the Peace Corps in Africa, has learned three foreign languages (Russian, Swahili, and Japanese), and is an accomplished amateur dancer. In 1985, Dr. Jemison interviewed at NASA and received encouragement from Robert McNair, one of the first African-American astronauts. Mae was accepted as an astronaut candidate in 1987 and in September 1992 became the first African-American woman in space. Each day she began her work shift quoting Lieutenant Uhura’s words, “Hailing frequencies open!” Since her stint aboard the space shuttle, Dr. Jemison has often taken time from her busy work schedule to speak to children and encourage them to follow their dreams.
CONSIDER THIS: America is a land of many opportunities, but they are not given to you without cost. You often must struggle, study hard, and overcome substantial obstacles to realize your own American Dream.
Submitted by Richard
