Did you know that there are 15 past, current and future African American astronauts?
Many villagers think that Guion Bluford was the first Black astronaut. That is wrong. Though Bluford was the first African American to enter space, he was not the first African American astronaut. That distinction belongs to Robert H. Lawrence Jr., who became an astronaut on June 10, 1967. Tragically, Lawrence never made it into space. A short time later, he was killed when his plane crashed during a training flight.
Other notable African Americans in the space program include Bernard A. Harris Jr., the first African American to walk in space, and Mae C. Jamison, the first African American woman in space.
No Black astronaut ever went on a mission to the moon. Things might have been different if rampant discrimination in the space program didn't spell doom for NASSA, the Negro American Society of Space Astronauts.
You haven't heard about the old Negro Space Program? Lucky for you ... we have a video documentary on a little-known aspect of American history. Check it out!