Mae Carol Jemison, 1956

Photo credit - NASA

A physician, an engineer, and an astronaut who was the first African-American woman to travel in space.

Born in Decatur, Alabama, and moved to Chicago at the age of 3. From a young age, she had an interest both in science and in dancing, but at college, she had to decide which goal to pursue, and after her mother told her “You can always dance if you’re a doctor, but you can’t doctor if you’re a dancer,” Jemison chose science.

At 21, she graduated from Stanford University and got her M.D degree from Cornell Medical College when she turned 25. Afterward, she joined the Peace Corps and served for two years as a Medical Officer. When she was 31 years old, Jemison got accepted into NASA’s Astronaut Program, becoming the first African-American woman to be admitted into the program.

In her only space mission, she conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness on herself and her fellow crew members. At 37, she resigned from NASA and founded her own company for research, develop, and market science and technology for daily life.

Jemison published six books and is using her public platforms to advocate for the quality of healthcare in the USA and the Third World.

 

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“The difference between science and the arts is not that they are different sides of the same coin even, or even different parts of the same continuum, but rather, they are manifestations of the same thing. The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity.”

“The difference between science and the arts is not that they are different sides of the same coin even, or even different parts of the same continuum, but rather, they are manifestations of the same thing. The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity.”

Fun Facts

  • Jemison’s inspiration to join NASA was the African American actress Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Lieutenant Uhura on the science fiction Tv series ‘Star Trek’. Years later, Jemison appeared in an episode of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ as Lieutenant Palmer and was the first real-life astronaut to appear on the show.

Awards

  • Buzz Aldrin Space Pioneer Award
  • The National Audubon Society, Rachel Carson Award
  • Intrepid Award by the National Organization for Girls

Creations By and About Her

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Category: Science & Technology
Tags: African-American Women, Astronaut, Engineer, Physician, The Pioneering Women of the National Mall Neighborhood, and WDC Metro Area Women

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