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We could not fail : the first African Americans in the Space Program Cover Image Book

We could not fail : the first African Americans in the Space Program / Richard Paul & Steven Moss.

First African Americans in the Space Program (portion title)
Paul, Richard, 1959- (author.). Moss, Steven, 1962- (author.).

Summary:

"The Space Age began just as the struggle for civil rights forced Americans to confront the long and bitter legacy of slavery, discrimination, and violence against African Americans. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson utilized the space program as an agent for social change, using federal equal employment opportunity laws to open workplaces at NASA and NASA contractors to African Americans while creating thousands of research and technology jobs in the Deep South to ameliorate poverty. We Could Not Fail tells the inspiring, largely unknown story of how shooting for the stars helped to overcome segregation on earth. Richard Paul and Steven Moss profile ten pioneer African American space workers whose stories illustrate the role NASA and the space program played in promoting civil rights. They recount how these technicians, mathematicians, engineers, and an astronaut candidate surmounted barriers to move, in some cases literally, from the cotton fields to the launching pad. The authors vividly describe what it was like to be the sole African American in a NASA work group and how these brave and determined men also helped to transform Southern society by integrating colleges, patenting new inventions, holding elective office, and reviving and governing defunct towns. Adding new names to the roster of civil rights heroes and a new chapter to the story of space exploration, We Could Not Fail demonstrates how African Americans broke the color barrier by competing successfully at the highest level of American intellectual and technological achievement."--Publisher description.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780292772496
  • ISBN: 0292772491
  • ISBN: 9781477311134
  • Physical Description: x, 300 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First edition
  • Publisher: Austin : University of Texas Press, [2015]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
A man of firsts: Julius Montgomery -- "There was a lot of history there": Theodis Ray -- Stronger than steel: Frank Crossley -- Dixie's role in the Space Age -- First of race in space: Ed Dwight -- The view from space: George Carruthers -- "Huntsville, it has always been unique": Delano Hyder and Richard Hall -- The country spartacus: Clyde Foster -- Water walkers: Morgan Watson and George Bourda -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Relevant census numbers on employed professional and skilled labor for NASA host states.

Search for related items by subject

Subject:
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration > Officials and employees > Biography.
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration > Officials and employees > History.
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration > Rules and practice > History.
African American professional employees > Biography.
African American engineers > Biography.
African American astronauts > Biography.
Discrimination in employment > United States > History > 20th century.
Race discrimination > United States > History > 20th century.
Genre:
Biographies.

Available copies

  • 14 of 15 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 0 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library.

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  • 0 current holds with 15 total copies.
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MARC Record

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24510. ‡aWe could not fail : ‡bthe first African Americans in the Space Program / ‡cRichard Paul & Steven Moss.
24630. ‡aFirst African Americans in the Space Program
250 . ‡aFirst edition
264 1. ‡aAustin : ‡bUniversity of Texas Press, ‡c[2015]
300 . ‡ax, 300 pages : ‡billustrations ; ‡c24 cm
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504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references and index.
5050 . ‡aA man of firsts: Julius Montgomery -- "There was a lot of history there": Theodis Ray -- Stronger than steel: Frank Crossley -- Dixie's role in the Space Age -- First of race in space: Ed Dwight -- The view from space: George Carruthers -- "Huntsville, it has always been unique": Delano Hyder and Richard Hall -- The country spartacus: Clyde Foster -- Water walkers: Morgan Watson and George Bourda -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Relevant census numbers on employed professional and skilled labor for NASA host states.
520 . ‡a"The Space Age began just as the struggle for civil rights forced Americans to confront the long and bitter legacy of slavery, discrimination, and violence against African Americans. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson utilized the space program as an agent for social change, using federal equal employment opportunity laws to open workplaces at NASA and NASA contractors to African Americans while creating thousands of research and technology jobs in the Deep South to ameliorate poverty. We Could Not Fail tells the inspiring, largely unknown story of how shooting for the stars helped to overcome segregation on earth. Richard Paul and Steven Moss profile ten pioneer African American space workers whose stories illustrate the role NASA and the space program played in promoting civil rights. They recount how these technicians, mathematicians, engineers, and an astronaut candidate surmounted barriers to move, in some cases literally, from the cotton fields to the launching pad. The authors vividly describe what it was like to be the sole African American in a NASA work group and how these brave and determined men also helped to transform Southern society by integrating colleges, patenting new inventions, holding elective office, and reviving and governing defunct towns. Adding new names to the roster of civil rights heroes and a new chapter to the story of space exploration, We Could Not Fail demonstrates how African Americans broke the color barrier by competing successfully at the highest level of American intellectual and technological achievement."--Publisher description.
61010. ‡aUnited States. ‡bNational Aeronautics and Space Administration ‡xOfficials and employees ‡vBiography.
61010. ‡aUnited States. ‡bNational Aeronautics and Space Administration ‡xOfficials and employees ‡xHistory.
61010. ‡aUnited States. ‡bNational Aeronautics and Space Administration ‡xRules and practice ‡xHistory.
650 0. ‡aAfrican American professional employees ‡vBiography.
650 0. ‡aAfrican American engineers ‡vBiography.
650 0. ‡aAfrican American astronauts ‡vBiography.
650 0. ‡aDiscrimination in employment ‡zUnited States ‡xHistory ‡y20th century.
650 0. ‡aRace discrimination ‡zUnited States ‡xHistory ‡y20th century.
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7001 . ‡aMoss, Steven, ‡d1962- ‡eauthor. ‡0(CARDINAL)409442
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