Mae C. Jeminson

Mae Carol Jeminson was born in Decatur, Alabama. She made history because she was the first female and African American to be an astronaut. October 17, 1956 who is now at the age of 55. She is the child of Charlie Jeminson and Dorothy Green. Jemison loved science growing up and was always interested  in becoming an astronaut. Dr. Martin Luther King inspired her to become this because as he said "I Have A Dream" she believed to abide by that same phrase and took place in action. Jemison graduated from Chicago's Morgan Park High School in 1973 and entered Stanford University at age 16. She majored in Engineering. Jemison's inspiration for joining NASA was African-American actress Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek. Jemison was turned down on her first application to NASA, but in 1987 Jemison was also accepted on her second application. She received 

1988 Essence Science and Technology Award

1990 Gamma Sigma Gamma Woman of the Year

1991 McCall's 10 Outstanding Women for the 90s

1991 Pumpkin Magazine's (a Japanese Monthly) One of the Women for the Coming New Century

1992 Johnson Publications Black Achievement Trailblazers Award

1993 National Women's Hall of Fame

1993 Ebony magazine 50 Most Influential women

1993 Kilby Science Award

1993 Montgomery Fellow, Dartmouth

1993 People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful and sexy People in the World"

1993 Turner Trumpet Award

2002 listed among the 100 Greatest African Americans according to Molefi Kete Asante.

2003 Intrepid Award by the National Organization for girls

2004 International Space Hall of Fame Institutions

1992 Mae C. Jemison Science and Space Museum, Wilbur Wright College, Chicago, Illinois

1992 Mae C. Jemison Academy, an alternative public school in Detroit, Michigan

2001 Mae Jemison School, an elementary public school in Hazel Crest, Illinois

2007 Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy, a public charter school in Baltimore, Maryland