Guion Bluford Jr., First African American in Space

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COLENOL GUION BLUFORD ,JR.

• The first African American in space.
• By Rachel Waugh

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Facts
Name Guion Guy Bluford, Jr. Born November
22, 1942 Birthplace Philadelphia, PA Parents
Guion Bluford, Sr. Mechanical Engineer Lolita
Bluford Special Education Teacher Siblings
Eugene Bluford (younger) Kenneth Bluford
(younger) Guy was born 13 years before the civil
rights movement and into a middle class
integrated neighborhood in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Guys parents encouraged their
children not to let racism be an excuse for
failure.
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When Guy entered high school an exciting event
helped Guy decide on a career. The 1957 launch
of the Sputnik an artificial satellite that
marked the beginning of the space age. Bluford
recalls telling people as early as the ninth
grade that he wanted to be an aerospace engineer.
That was 6 years before Martin Luther King
delivered his famous I have a Dream speech.
Not surprisingly, Guys dreams weren't accepted
by everyone. He had a high school counselor
suggest that Guy go to trade school, that college
would be too difficult.
http//www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihavea
dream.htm (Jeffery, 1998)
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Over the next few years.
1960 Just the Beginning Graduated Overbrook
High school in and entered Pennsylvania State
University 1964 What a year! Graduated from
college Married started a family Joined the
Air Force 1966-1967 Fighting for our Country!
Flew 144 combat missions in Vietnam, was awarded
several medals for heroism 1969 International
news First man lands on the moon! 1974 Back
to school! Earned a masters degree in
Aerospace Engineering from Airforce Institute of
Technology! 1976 Applied for the NASA Space
Shuttle Program, one of more than 8,000
applicants 1978 Back to school.again!
Earned a doctorate degree in aerospace
engineering and laser physics.
Chosen as an astronaut Reported to Johnson
Space Center for training. 1981 International
News the first space shuttle Columbia blasted
off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
(Jeffery, 1998)
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Guion Guy Bluford makes historyAugust 30,
1983The First African American to Fly into
space!
Crew of the Challenger Mission STS-8
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Back to Earth as a historical figure.
I look upon my position as really a historic
position being the first Black to fly in space.
I hope that other Blacks can look at me and say
Hey, he had the opportunity and he was able to
succeed in his particular profession, maybe I can
do it in my particular profession.. Guion
Bluford (Jeffery, 1998)
With President Regan October 1983
http//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?titleFil
eNASA_Celebrates_its_25th_Anniversary_-_GPN-2002-
000087.jpgredirectno
http//www.newspaperarchive.com/SearchResultsV3.as
px?fnameguionlnamebluford
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Three More Missions to Space
October 30, 1985 Challenger - STS 61-A April
28, 1991- Discovery STS 39 December 2,
1992 Discovery STS 53
www.nasa.gov
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Honoring a hero
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GUION BLUFORDS IMPACT ON HISTORY Guion Guy
Bluford was not swayed from his goal of becoming
an aerospace engineer and astronaut by those who
thought differently of his abilities because of
the color of his skin. Although he did not set
out to serve as a role model, Guy paved the way
for many African American men, women, and
children to pursue their dreams. His
accomplishments proved to the world that hard
work and perseverance can overcome obstacles
presented by racism, prejudices, and diversity.
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REFERENCEShttp//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.p
hp?titleFileNASA_Celebrates_its_25th_Anniversary
_-_GPN-2002-000087.jpgredirectnohttp//www.new
spaperarchive.com/SearchResultsV3.aspx?fnameguion
lnameblufordhttp//www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlb
ios/bluford-gs.htmlJeffrey, L. (1998)
Countdown to Space Guion Bluford A Space
Biography. Springfield, NJ Enslow Publishers
http//space.about.com/cs/formerastronauts/a/guion
bluford.htm http//www.youtube.com/watch?vEcZf
8ilkaDsfeatureplayer_embeddedwww.nasa.govhtt
p//www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadre
am.htm