Mae Jemison

February 11, 2008

You may Listen or download this story in .mp3 format. or as a .wav file

Profile America for the 11th day of Black History Month. Mae Jemison has several distinctions. She is the first African-American woman to travel in outer space — and the only astronaut to have appeared on the television classic, “Star Trek.” She was on an eight-day mission aboard the shuttle Endeavor and appeared in an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” called “Second Chances.” Before being selected by NASA for the astronaut training program, she had earned two undergraduate degrees, a medical degree and served two years as a peace corps medical officer in West Africa — all before her 30th birthday. One-point-three million African-American adults have advanced degrees — about twice the number in 1996. This special edition of Profile America for Black History Month is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.