The Space Race Has A Great Narrative, But Something Is Missing
Neil Armstrong is probably the first person you think of when you think about space exploration and achievements. However, there are many stories of Black astronauts before and after the moon landing that go unrecognized and under appreciated. Directed by Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, The Space Race tells the history of Black pioneering figures including Ed Dwight and Guy Bluford.
Dwight was the first Black trainee at the Aerospace Research Pilot School in 1963. Meanwhile, Bluford became the first African American to go into space in 1983. Their contrasting story is an interesting point in the documentary as Dwight was shut out from becoming the first Black man in space. He suffered relentless racism from commander Chuck Yeager, reunited with his ex-wife as propaganda, and had the pressure of the Black community to address the injustice. His interviews are the most moving since he did break a barrier for future generations to follow, but never got his moment.
Additionally, Dwight is now 90 years old and works as an accomplished sculptor. I really like that they highlight this part of his life because you can see the amount of joy art gives him. One reveal that I think people don’t realize is when Dwight talks about not knowing who Harriet Tubman was and the issue of slavery. He talks about how he received a white education and didn’t know about any Black history until he read up on it. It was truly heartwarming to hear how he uses his art to preserve the history he once never knew existed.
Moving forward, Bluford comes off as extremely humble about his experience. He had to “compete” with other Black astronauts including Ron McNair, Charles Bolden, and Fedrick Gregory. Though he never saw it as a competition, he ended up getting selected to be the first Black man in space — two decades after Dwight’s arrival. Through the archival footage and personal accounts, their friendship and brotherhood are a light to see even after the tragic death of Ron McNair on the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-51-L. They all recount their NASA experience in an emotional and sometimes humorous way that keeps you captivated in the storytelling.
I found myself completely enamored with their stories, but also felt like something was missing — the perspective from Black women astronauts, engineers, and scientists. I wish the documentary included those personal accounts from Black women who got into NASA and achieved great things. Not only would their stories add to the overall narrative, but also educate the audience who might not know that part of space history as well. We do see the impact Nichelle Nichols had as a wonderful actress on Star Trek as Captain Uhura and her work with NASA to recruit underrepresented candidates—something I didn’t even know about. Along with this, the story of Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, the first person of African descent through the Soviet Union’s Intercosmos program, could have been expanded a bit more on. It felt like an afterthought as part of a larger narrative, but perhaps it’s a sign to further educate.
What I really found moving was the documentary shining a light on how progress is still to be made. It starts with a personal account of Victor Glover, who was stationed on the International Space Station in 2020, learning about George Floyd’s murder and the protests that followed. He talks about carrying a painting of him for a couple months and the anger and sadness he felt. It goes to show that although great achievements have been made by extraordinary Black figures, injustice still occurs. The history and the progress needed in modern times are at the heart of the documentary.
All of the stories featured in the National Geographic documentary are not talked about enough whether it’s online or in textbooks. Though The Space Race lacks in bringing Black NASA women’s personal accounts, it is captivating and raw at its best moments.
