Mae Jemison – Dr. Mae Jemison – Astronaut
By
John C Abercrombie
The subject of this post is widely known as the first Black Female Astronaut, but that does not tell the story of Dr. Jemison or what she has accomplished.
While we know her as an astronaut, not many know she also was accepted into Stanford University at the age of 16 and has a degree in chemical engineering from and a B.A. degree in African and Afro-American Studies from Stanford.
Jemison has always had a love of dance and after graduating from Stanford wondered if she should pursue dance or medicine. The wise advice of her mother told her that as a doctor, she could also dance but pursuing dance, she would not be able to be a doctor and help others.
Jemison obtained her M.D. degree from Cornell University in 1981. While there, she interned at USC Medical Center. During medical school, she traveled and provided care to people living in Cuba, Kenya and Thailand. In 1982, she worked as a general practitioner.
While at Cornell Medical College, she took lessons in modern dance at the Alvin Ailey School, later building a dance studio in her home. She has choreographed and produced several shows of modern jazz and African dance.
Mae Jemison was born in Decatur, Alabama, October 17, 1955. Her father was a maintenance supervisor and her mother an elementary school teacher of English and Math.
Because of the limitations on educational opportunities for Blacks, the family moved to Chicago, Illinois to take advantage of better educational opportunities for the children and better employment opportunities for the parents.
An eager learner, she was able to explore the world around her in a very practical way. When her thumb was infected by a splinter, her mother encouraged her to do a project on it. She then did a project on pus. Her parents were supportive of her interests in science.
To show the influence of others, some of whom are directed by people with limited experience and imagination. Jemison relates an experience from kindergarten. “my teacher asked what I wanted to be, and I told her a scientist”. “She said ‘Don’t you mean a nurse?’ While there is nothing wrong with being a nurse, it is a great occupation and helps many people, it ratchets down the ambition of the person receiving the advice.
She relates another instance when she was irritated that there were no women astronauts and she did not buy the explanations that were given to her. As it turned out, Jemison was right and made it happen!
Jemison was positively inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She said he made her think of attitude, audacity and bravery. “The civil rights movement was all about breaking down barriers to human potential. The best way to make dreams come true is to wake up.”
Jemison comments on the difficulty of majoring in engineering as a Black woman. “Some professors would pretend that I wasn’t there. I would ask a question. I would ask a question and a professor would act as if it was just so dumb, the dumbest question he had ever heard. Then when a white guy would ask the same question, the professor would say, ‘That’s a very astute observation.’
Jemison stated that it was necessary for women and minorities to have some arrogance in order to be successful in a white male dominated society.
Dr. Jemison served in the Peace Corps from 1983 to 1985 where she was responsible for the health of volunteers serving in Liberia and Sierra Leone. She supervised the pharmacy, laboratory and medical staff. She also wrote self-care manuals and developed and implemented guidelines for health and safety issues.
The importance of role models can be seen in that Jemison was inspired by the flight of Sally Ride in 1983 and African-American actress Nichelle Nichols who portrayed Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek. An interesting footnote is that Nichols was inspired to remain in the role after being told of the importance as a role model by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jemison flew as Mission Specialist on STS-47 where she was an investigator of 2 bone cell research experiments.
Jemison would begin each day with a salute that Trekkies will appreciate, “Hailing frequencies open”. She also took a picture of Bessie Coleman (a role model of Black Females in aviation, see http://amazingblackhistory.com/2019/02/07/coleman-bessie-first-licensed-international-female-pilot/ ) the first African-American woman to ever fly an airplane.
Jemison continues to be involved in many activities. Seeing science and technology as being a part of society and recognize that African-Americans have played a significant role in science and technology from the beginning although it is not always recognized by those that have not been exposed to the accomplishments.
Jemison founded her own company, “The Jemison Group” in 1993, it researches markets and develops science and technology for daily life. She founded the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. The foundation is named in honor of her mother. “My parents were the best scientists I knew, they were always asking questions.
When we are not aware of information, we often make assumptions, most of which prove to be wrong. Consider the following information that most are not aware of.
There have been 14 Black American Astronauts and in that number is of course Mae Jemison, but most don’t know of Stephanie Wilson, who has spent 42 days in space or Joan Higginbotham.
Not to minimize the accomplishments of anyone, we often think that Guion Bluford was the first Black in space. He is the first African-American, but was preceded by Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez a Cuban military officer, legislator and former cosmonaut who flew on Soyuz 38
As a member of the crew of Soyuz 38, September 18, 1980.
The life of Mae Jemison is that of a pioneer and role model. We often have the wrong idea when it comes to role models, believing that the life story only inspires those who are like the model. That group is very large because it includes many people that are excluded if we only look at race, gender or other limiting factors. People are much more complex than that.
The story of Mae Jemison and others may include anyone who has been steered away from their dream by well-meaning counselors and others in that role, but with limited experience.
We salute Dr. Jemison for her accomplishments and hope you have been inspired by the experience regardless of the limiting factors that sometimes seem so important in our search for a role model.
**
To see the full listing of posts, click on our Blog list
For Black History Month 2020, we posted daily. These posts focus on the reality of Black life in America after the Civil War culminating in the landmark Brown v Board of Education that changed so many of the earlier practices. To see the posts, click here
For Black History Month 2021, we focused on Black Medical Achievements, Inventors and Scientists’ see those posts, click here.
For Black History Month 2022 we focused on “Health and Wellness.” To see the entire series, this is the link to click.
This post is part of a series dedicated to Black women we should all know. To see the series, click this link.
We also posted a 5 part mini-series on the 100th anniversary of one of the most horrific massacres in the history of America. Hundreds of Blacks were slaughtered and 10,000 left homeless in this largely unknown event. To see the posts, click here.
We also did a mini-series on the Schomburg Center for Research a most amazing collection of Black history and culture. To see this mini-series, continue to scroll
The Schomburg Center
A world class collection of Black History inspired by a 5th grade teacher who told Arturo Schomburg that there was NO African history. Nothing of value. Schomburg dedicated his life to proving that teacher wrong and Schomburg did an amazing job with his collection.
Schomburg – The man who built a library
To comment or make suggestions on future posts, use Contact Us
We encourage you to share the site on social media.
Use our links to Amazon anytime you shop Amazon. We receive a small royalty without cost to you. Continue to scroll for fascinating Videos and Books to enhance your learning experience.
Continue scrolling down for more amazing information, videos, books and value items.
**
We are dedicated in bringing you the best in stories of accomplishment and achievement and continue by use of the following sources that you can use to increase your journey of success.
Below you will find books, videos and value offers that you are sure to enjoy.
Books
Mae Among the Stars
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
A beautiful picture book for sharing, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison.
A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the perfect book for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts!
**
Brazilian Kinky Curly Hair Bundles
ABH – Brazilians Kinky Curly Hair Bundles
**
Mae Jemison (Great African-Americans)
ABH – Mae Jemison Great African-Americans
**
Women’s Jeans
**
Mae Jemison (You Should Meet)
Blast off into space and get to know Mae Jemison—the first African-American woman to ever go to space—with this fascinating, nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a new series of biographies about people “you should meet.”
**
Women’s Plus size Clothes
ABH – Women’s Plus Size Clothes
**
Ted talk
Want interstellar travel? Build interdisciplinary teams | Mae Jemison
**
Women’s Fitness Tracker
**
Mae Jemison (Rookie Biographies)
Mae Jemison was a bright child who was always fascinated by science. The top student and gifted dancer ignored naysayers and worked hard to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor and an astronaut. She then went on to become the first African-American woman to travel to space.
**
Insulated Coffee Mug
**
Biography: Mae Jemison 2018
**
Mae Jemison on teaching arts and sciences together: Art Video: Art Talk
**
Ice Makers – Large or small, we have them all
**
Astronaut Mae Jemison (Stem Trailblazer Biographies)
Astronaut Mae Jemison
While watching Star Trek on television as a child, Mae Jemison was certain she would one day visit space. As an adult, she made this dream a reality when she became the first black female NASA astronaut.
Jemison became a medical doctor before applying for NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Then, in 1992, she blasted off on the shuttle Endeavour and conducted scientific experiments to test the effects of space on human bone cells. Jemison has dedicated her life to science education and to finding ways to use technology to help communities around the world. Find out how Jemison’s passion for science led to her many impressive achievements.
**
Hair Extensions for Black Women
ABH – Hair Extensions for Black Women
**
Dr. Mae Jemison, Science Literacy on LIVING SMART with Patricia Gras
An interesting interview that reveals what makes Dr. Mae Jemison tick.
**
Reading Light
**
The Girl Who Could Dance in Outer Space:
An Inspirational Tale About Mae Jemison (The Girls Who Could)
This is the book mentioned in the article
ABH – The Girl Who Could Dance In Outer Space
**
Gaming System
**
Astronaut Mae Jemison: Launching Women into Science and Tech
A great video for the teacher
Mae Jemison | First African American Woman Astronaut | Facts For Kids is an educational video for students that tells about the life of Mae Jemison.
**
Kitchen Essentials
**
Dr. Mae Jemison (Excellence Through Diversity Distinguished Learning Series)
Astronaut and physician Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, urged an enthralled audience at the University of Virginia on Sept. 20 to recapture the sense of infinite possibilities people felt when the United States was racing to reach the moon.
**
Oral Care
**
Astronaut, Physicist Dr. Mae C. Jemison
Black Renaissance welcomes Dr. Mae C. Jemison, the first African-American woman to voyage into outer space as a crew member on the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1992. She talks to host Christin Ayers about her work promoting STEM education.
**
Cell Phones
**
We hope you have enjoyed and learned from the life and accomplishments of Dr. Mae Jemison.
We appreciate you sharing the post and the site.
Thank you!