Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman to travel to space back in the 1990’s. Jemison was born on Oct. 17, 1956 in Alabama. As a young adult, she pursued a medical career before beginning to work with NASA. After noticing the lack of women astronauts, Jemison decided to apply for NASA and was given an opportunity to orbit the earth for 8 days.
Jemison was chosen out of approximately 2,000 applicants and began preparing for the week-long mission in 1987. Following her career at NASA, Jemison went on to focus on charity work and is now an important figure in both aerospace travel and the development of science-based charities.
Mae Jemison was in attendance for the celebration that marked 25 years since her mission back in 2017. At said celebration, Jemison was asked why she continues to be involved in her community and attempts to make a difference in the world. Jemison stated, “For me it’s being able to make sure that everybody benefits from the bounty of this planet.”
if you’d like to know more about Mae Jemison, and her impact on Black History, please click and read the following:
