1956-

African-American Astronaut

Mae Jemison was the first black woman to fly in space. Her flight reinforced the inclusion of minorities as professionals in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Although Jemison was not the first American woman or African American assigned to a spaceflight, her mission represented the possibilities for a racially diverse astronaut corps to explore space. Since Jemison's selection as an astronaut, many female minorities have joined—as space travelers, scientists, and engineers—NASA's efforts to study the universe.

Born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama, Jemison was born to Charlie and Dorothy Jemison. When Jemison was a toddler, the family moved to Chicago, Illinois. Jemison watched the television series Star Trek, admiring the character Lieutenant Uhura, who was a black female astronaut. Reading space books and having watched the televised lunar landing, Jemison planned to become an astronaut even though...