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b. 1956
Astronaut, Activist, Doctor, and Engineer
Because her launch, launched black women in STEM
Throughout the years, NASA has accomplished many things that were thought to be beyond human reach. One of these many achievements was sending the first African American woman into space. Mae Jemison made waves in STEM when she blasted off in 1992 becoming the first black woman in space. However, Jemison’s resume extends far beyond space travel. Jemison is a civil rights activist, a Physician, a professor of science, a peace corps member, and an accomplished scientific author.
Early Life and Education
Early Life and Education
When Mae was growing up, she always had a love for space. However, nobody like her had ever been an astronaut. Evidentiary aid shows: “She was born in Decatur, Ala., in 1956 and raised in Chicago” (“Mae”). Coming from the south to the north provided Mae with more opportunities in STEM, however, racism heavily influenced her early education in the Chicago Public school system. The now famous astronaut, “Credits her uncle with sparking her interest in science and technology” (“Mae”).The spark that Mae found can be traced back to her uncle and she recognizes where she came from with pride. She grew up watching a tv show that truly turned her spark into a flame for space. Evidence states: “Jemison grew up watching the Apollo airings on TV, but she was often upset that there were no female astronauts. However, Jemison was inspired by African American actress Nichelle Nichols who played Lieutenant Uhura on the Star Trek television show” (Alexander). This evidence helps people understand that even as a child she noticed that there were no women in NASA, Let alone women of color. She knew then that she wanted to join NASA to help prove to other young girls of color that they could achieve their dreams. She worked very hard from a young age. She even, “ Went on to receive her medical degree from Cornell University and served two years in the Peace Corps in West Africa as a staff physician” (Lindsey). Right out of college, Jemison quickly entered the workforce to build up her field experience. She worked with people to help better develop the countries in Africa.
Her Time at NASA
Her Time at NASA
After seeing NASA's failed efforts to put a woman in space, Jemison was inspired to be the first black woman in space. She applied to NASA and, “She was one of 15 chosen from a pool of 2,000 applicants in 1988” (Lindsey). This shows that she was well educated and qualified to be selected against many other races and genders. During this time period, racism was still impacting the workplace and hiring processes within companies. The fact that she got hired at all shows her worth as a whole. Once she was brought aboard, she was, “Assigned to STS-47, a Spacelab Life Sciences mission” (Lindsey). After their training and preparation period, they launched, “On September 12, 1992 Jemison and six other astronauts went into space on the space shuttle Endeavor. This voyage made Jemison the first African American woman in space”(Alexander). This evidence depicts the actual mission and marks that she was the first African American woman in space. This was a huge step forward in the diversity of STEM and the accessibility of space travel for all who seek it out. However, Jemison wasn’t just there as a figurehead of diversity, she was a vital asset to the team: “On this eight-day flight Jemison served as a science mission specialist and carried out experiments on the effects of space motion sickness, frog fertilization in space, and bone loss during spaceflight” (Lindsey). This depicts that Jemison was not only making waves for women and African Americans in STEM, she was also making groundbreaking discoveries for NASA. Including creating new ways to protect astronauts during space travel. For the mission, “She spent 7 days, 22 hours, and 30 minutes in Space” (Lindsey). This short period of time spent in space gave her enough time to make important scientific discoveries and move mountains for minorities in STEM.
Post- NASA
Post- NASA
After her time at NASA, she continued to make scientific advancements in both her own practices, and influencing students in the field of STEM. Jemison,“Started The Jemison Group, a consulting company that encourages science, technology, and social change” (Alexander). The group was started in,”1993 and has its Corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas. The first area that we work on is examining how to apply advanced or emerging technology to problems in developing countries.”( Frazer) This displays that Jemison wanted to give back to her community and keep destigmatizing race to prevent African Americans from going through what she had to go through.She was also an advocate for developing countries, “People often believe appropriate technology in developing countries means basic technology, but this is not true. There is no need to travel down the same path as the so-called industrialized countries in the process of introducing technologies”(Frazer).She wanted to show through her company that she cares about developing countries. Jemison always wanted to be an astronaut, even from a young age she dreamed about it. Because of Jemison’s love of entertainment carried from her childhood, she, “Agreed to become the first real astronaut to be on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation” (Alexander). Jemison got to fulfill her childhood dreams through sharing a stage with the individuals that she admired. Following her brief stint in entertainment, she worked in, “Advancing technology and healthcare delivery in developing countries” (Eze). Using her doctoral skills to help others, Mae Jemison brings healthcare to those who sometimes go without. She worked particularly hard to advance the opportunities of individuals in developing countries in Africa. Despite all of her achievements, she still confronts institutionalized prejudice similar to what she experienced as a student in Chicago (Lindsey). This proves that Jemison truly didn’t do what she did for publicity, she did it to inspire people like her to work towards their goals. Her selfless nature and determination to give back makes her more than worthy of recognition. After her space travel, “Currently, Jemison is leading the 100 Year Starship project through a governmental agency with the acronym DARPA” (Alexander). These examples of everything that Jemison has done post NASA shows the sheer length that she goes to in order to prevent racism and sexism within the STEM community. She is still making waves to this day and will forever be remembered. Jemison continues to work despite her long list of accomplishments. More of the projects she continues to be a part of is being on the board of directors for many organizations including; the Kimberly-Clark Corp., Scholastic, Inc., Valspar Corp., Morehouse College, Texas Medical Center, Texas State Product Development and Small Business Incubator, Greater Houston Partnership Disaster Planning and Recovery Task Force, and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (Alexander). Jemison serves a crucial role in many organizations, which are making improvements in our society in ways of education, STEM, destigmatizing race and gender, and many more. Moreover, Jemison is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, and has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, National Medical Association Hall of Fame and Texas Science Hall of Fame. She has received multiple awards and honorary degrees including the National Organization for Women’s Intrepid Award and the Kilby Science Award (Alexander). Mae Jemison truly has shaken up the world, and has been recognized nationally for it. She has won awards in almost every field she’s ever worked in, and has made countless astronomical and scientific advancements. Her work has been recognized through different awards such as the,“Prestigious “MIB Publisher's Award” for, among other things, her remarkable efforts in integrating social science issues into the design” (Eze).This evidence shows she was not only an incredible astronaut but an activist and difference maker. She changed the world with her talents and has left a lasting impact. She is giving back to younger generations through the creation of, “An international science camp for students ages 12 to 16” (“Mae”). Despite all of her accolades, she still makes a continuous effort to provide for people who don’t always get the most attention in this field. She is providing others with the resources she wishes she had out of her selfless nature.
In Conclusion, Mae Jemison was greatly influential to women and girls of color all over the world. She broke boundaries and made shocking discoveries in the Medical, Scientific and Engineering fields. These advancements have left a lasting mark on STEM, and diversity in primarily white fields.
Kaitlin Howe, Sara Miller, and Sophia Luster
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