Jemison, Mae Carol

Impact on the world

Became the first African American woman in space as a crew member of the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992, carrying a photograph of Bessie Coleman with her on the mission; she later wrote candidly that she was embarrassed and saddened not to have learned of Coleman's pioneering aviation career until her own spaceflight was already approaching, reflecting on how much earlier she might have felt Coleman's influence had that history been better preserved and taught.

Life & background

Born in Decatur, Alabama and raised in Chicago, Jemison graduated high school at 16 before earning a degree in chemical engineering from Stanford and going on to medical school, later working as a physician, including service with the Peace Corps in West Africa. Inspired by Sally Ride's 1983 spaceflight, she applied to NASA's astronaut program in 1985, but the agency paused applications following the 1986 Challenger disaster; she reapplied in 1987 and was selected from a pool of more than 2,000 candidates. On September 12, 1992, she became the first African American woman to travel into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, carrying with her a photograph of aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman, whose own historical legacy she later said she discovered too late in her own life and career, only as her spaceflight approached. She retired from NASA the following year and went on to found a technology research company, teach at Cornell, and become a leading advocate for STEM education, particularly in underserved communities.

Sources

1. Florida Memorial University (Blacks in Aviation Museum); Biography.com (10 Black Pioneers in Aviation); Beasley Media Group