The 1960s were a time of social movements and space exploration. While JFK declared the international space race, Black Americans were fighting for an end to segregation.
A new documentary from National Geographic combines the worlds of civil rights and stellar achievements.
America’s First Black Astronaut Trainee
Growing up on the outskirts of Kansas City, Ed Dwight Jr. dreamed of life in the sky. Dwight joined the Air Force in 1953 after earning an aeronautical engineering degree from Arizona State University. His hard work seemed to pay off in 1962 when the Kennedy administration chose him as the first Black astronaut trainee.
Initially, Dwight had reservations about becoming an astronaut but his mother persuaded him to rise to the challenge.
When he entered the pilot training program under Chuck Yeager, he faced severe discrimination. Yeager used slurs to describe Dwight and tried to prevent him from graduating the program. This only fueled Dwight’s fire and gave him the courage to stand up against the bigotry.
Despite completing pilot school, he continued to receive backlash. He was further ostracized for being used as propaganda by the Kennedy administration and not publicizing the struggle of Black Americans.
When NASA announced the selected trainees for the space program, Dwight was not on the list.
Experiencing constant obstacles and a pattern of racism, Dwight resigned three years after the death of JFK. Had circumstances been equal, he might’ve made it to the moon.
Space wouldn’t see a Black astronaut until 1983 when Guy Bluford boarded the orbiter Challenger.
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Struggle for equality, manifesting an inclusive future
It’s unsurprising that Black astronauts faced discrimination while working for NASA.
Hidden Figures, a film based on the nonfiction book, tells the trials and tribulations of three Black women mathematicians employed by NASA during the space race. Navigating segregation and workplace prejudice was a common theme throughout the 20th century.
With a lack of representation in space, Black Americans created their own cultural aesthetic to envision what a Black presence in space and the future would look like — coined “Afrofuturism,” the idea allows freedom of expression through art and activism. Works from author Octavia Butler and actress Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura in Star Trek, are just a few examples of the manifestation of Afrofuturism.
In 1978, a new slate of 35 astronauts was selected. Among those 35 were three Black men, Guy Bluford, Ron McNair, and Fred Gregory. Bluford would go on to be the first Black person in space. McNair was, unfortunately, one of the lives lost in the Challenger explosion of 1986.
Space gains representation and justice on Earth continues to struggle
While aboard the International Space Station in late 2020, Victor Glover had a painting of George Floyd. It was hard for Glover to come to terms with the fact that the same country that chose him to be a representative in space allows for the unjust killing of Black men and women. In the following years, fellowship was established among past and present Black astronauts. They call themselves Afronauts.
Astronaut Leland Melvin, on the matter, said, “Rocket science is hard, but civil rights in our country ain’t rocket science.”
Ed Dwight Jr. finally received his accolades decades after parting ways with NASA. Charlie Bolden was appointed as NASA Administrator under President Obama. During his confirmation hearing, he gave a heartfelt acknowledgment to Ed Dwight for his trailblazing attempt to break the color barrier in America’s astronaut program.
Dwight is now and will forever be remembered as a Space Pioneer. The Space Race is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.