By Don Valentine
We are all familiar with the trope, “You must work twice as hard to be equal.” Mission Specialist Mae’s accomplishments, like her acceptance into NASA after outperforming over 2,000 applicants, really makes you wonder how she managed it. Must have been a DEI selection, obviously.
Prior to becoming a Mission Specialist, it was clear that Mae was destined for greatness. At age 16, she graduated early from her Chicago high school with honors. In 1977, she earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and African and African American studies from Stanford University. The National Women’s History Museum noted, “She served as the president of the Black Student Union. Staying true to her love of dance, she also choreographed a performing arts production called Out of the Shadows that focused on the African American experience.”
In 1981, she received a medical degree at age 25 from Cornell University. Mae also became president of the Cornell chapter of the Student National Medical Association. After her graduation from medical school, she practiced at the Los Angeles County Medical Center. Then, she volunteered for two years in the Peace Corps as a medical officer in Africa. Additionally, she speaks fluent Russian, Japanese, and Swahili. This was all before her 30th birthday.
When she returned to the United States in 1985, she pursued her true passion and applied for NASA’s astronaut training program. The Challenger disaster postponed the selection process, but undeterred, she reapplied a year later. On September 12, 1992, Mae and six other astronauts rocketed into space for their mission. With this successful launch, Mae Jemison became the first Black woman in space and the fourth woman in history.
The National Women’s History Museum described her duties: “Jemison conducted experiments that took advantage of the microgravity environment, where objects appear to be weightless. The mission, known as “Spacelab J”, conducted over forty-four different experiments.” Mae gave a nod to Black history and carried a picture of aviator Bessie Coleman to the International Spacelab. Heritage Black newspaper Afro.com wrote, “The historic moment wasn’t lost on Jemison who writes in her book, ‘Looking down and all around me, seeing the Earth, the moon and the stars–I just felt like I belonged right there.’” To learn more, read her memoir, Find Where the Wind Goes: Moments from My Life.
