Haute Chocolate History - Dr. Mae Jemison

Dr. Mae Jemison is a physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first African American woman to travel in space in 1992 when she went into orbit on the Space Shuttle Endeavor. And did it rocking a fierce TWA!

Mae was born in 1956 in Decatur, Alabama and was raised in Chicago. She graduated from Stanford University, after entering at age 16 by the way, with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering AND a BA in African and Afro-American Studies. She went on to receive her MD from Cornell Medical College, all be the age of 25 She even volunteered in the Peace Corps. Talk about Black Girl Magic!

She applied to NASA and was accepted in 1987, after her first application was rejected. Mae was actually on the first space flight after the tragic Challenger accident. She served as a Mission Specialist on STS-47 during her 8 day mission from September 12 to 20, 1992. Dr. Jemison resigned from NASA after her only space mission in 1993.

Mae's NASA aspirations originated by watching Nichelle Nichols play Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek. Dr. Jemison appeared on an episode of Star Trek in 1993 after actor LeVar Burton found out she was a fan of the show. She was the first astronaut to appear on the show.

Today, Dr. Mae Jemison is leading the 100 Year Starship, a government funded project to plan the next 100 years of interstellar travel.