African-Americans in Astronomy and Space

Black History Month began as "Negro History Week" first celebrated in 1926. Later evolving into "Black History Month," it was the brainchild of Dr. Carter Woodson. Until that time, very little emphasis was placed on the study of African-American history.

Disturbed by the lack of history of African-Americans, Dr. Woodson established the Assn. for the Study of Negro Life and History (now called the Assn. for the Study of Afro-American Life and History) in 1915. In 1916, he founded the widely respected Journal of Negro History. The second week of February was chosen for Negro History Week because of the birthdays of two men with great influence on the history of African-Americans, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

African-Americans have played a major role in the history of the United States of America and have much to be proud of. Here, we would like to celebrate just a few of the achievements of African-Americans in the fields of astronomy and space. This list is but a drop in the bucket and while it will continue to expand will never be complete.

• Benjamin Baneker - 1st African-American Astronomer.
• Doctor Arthur Bertram Cuthbert Walker II - Famed solar physicist and x-ray astronomer. Chaired Challenger disaster commission.
• Doctor Harvey Washington Banks - 1st African-American to Receive a PhD. in Astronomy.
• Doctor Neil deGrasse Tyson - Frederick Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.
• Doctor Beth A. Brown - NASA Astrophysicist.