Mae Jemison: The First Black Woman in Space

Some people dream of becoming successful actors, dancers, or choreographers. Others aspire to become doctors, astronauts, or successful entrepreneurs. Mae Jemison did it all – and more.

Born in 1956 in Alabama, Mae Carole Jemison grew up fascinated by science and was greatly inspired by African American actress Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Lieutenant Uhra on the Star Trek television show. Jemison graduated from Stanford with degrees in both chemical engineering and African and African American studies, and later earned a medical degree from Cornell, whilst simultaneously choreographing a musical and dance production called Out of the Shadows in her final year. However, she is best known for being the first woman of colour to go to space when she served as a mission specialist aboard Endeavor in 1992.

This joint mission by the US and Japan was commissioned to study how microgravity affected materials (fluid dynamics, metals, alloys, and ceramics) and living things (the crew, Koi fish, plant and animal cells, frogs, and frog eggs) over 8 days in a sub orbit. Jemison logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, and 23 seconds in space, orbiting the earth 127 times in total, beginning every shift with the salute “Hailing frequencies open” – a quote from Star Trek.

After the success of the mission, Jemison resigned from NASA to start her own company. She founded a consulting firm called The Jemison Group Inc, and the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence in (named after her mother) both in 1993. One of the foundation’s projects involves actively promoting the protection of our planet through a science camp for 12–16-year-olds called The Earth We Share.

Mae Jemison is an inspiring role model to young people all over the world, but especially to those of minority backgrounds and young women.