'Black In Space' Explores NASA's Small Steps And Giant Leaps Toward Equality

A new documentary looks at America's struggle to send its first black astronaut to space. "It would've been fantastic if we saw Ed Dwight walking on the moon," says black astronaut Robert Satcher.

npr

For many Americans, the first moon landing remains the most memorable moment in the history of manned space travel.

It was a high-water mark in the space race, but as the United States and Soviet Union were rushing to prove their dominance, a lesser known chapter in that battle was taking place: America’s effort to send a black man into space.

Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier, a new documentary on the Smithsonian Channel, brings light to the groundbreaking moment that almost came to be during the heights of the civil rights movement.

Source: npr