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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2018)
Page 18 The Skanner January 10, 2018 Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. NASA Celebrates Legacy of First Black American Astronaut NASA celebrates Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. on the anniversary of his death in December F Members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity join NASA in marking the 50th Anniversary of the death of Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on December 8. the Apollo 1 space mod- ule, during a preflight test. The Crusader sto- ry lauding Lawrence’s achievements was pub- lished in dozens of Black newspapers after the National Newspapers Publishers Association (NNPA) carried it on its newswire. Born in 1935 to the late Gwendolyn Duncan and Robert H. Lawrence, Sr., the future Air Force pilot was a man ahead of his time. Long before mag- net and STEM programs were part of the high school curriculum, Law- rence excelled in math and science. At 16, he graduated with honors from Engle- wood High School and went on to earn a bache- lor’s degree in chemistry from Bradley Universi- ty. He married the late Barbara Cress from the prominent Chicago Cress family and entered the Air Force at age 21 before earning a doctorate in physical chemistry from Ohio State University, becoming the first astro- USAF/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS ifty years ago, a trag- ic accident ended the groundbreak- ing career of Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., a Chicago native and stel- lar Air Force pilot who became America’s first Black astronaut. On Dec. 8, 2017 — the 50th anniversary of his death — NASA honored his often-ignored legacy and contributions to the agency. Earlier this year, the Chicago Crusader re- ported about the lack of visibility of NASA’s first Black American astro- naut and helped to raise awareness about Law- rence’s incredible jour- ney. In planning a story for its annual Black History Month edition, Chicago Crusader staffers discov- ered that little was being done to honor Lawrence, while NASA held memo- rials to mark the 50th anniversary of three, White astronauts who perished in a fire aboard ERICK JOHNSON/CHICAGO CRUSADER By Erick Johnson Chicago Crusader/NNPA Member Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr. was the first African American astronaut. naut at NASA to earn a doctorate degree. As a United States Air Force pilot, Lawrence accumulated over 2,500 flight hours. In June 1967, Lawrence graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (Class ‘66B) at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. In that same month, he was se- lected by the USAF as an astronaut for their Manned Orbital Labo- ratory (MOL) program, thus becoming the first Black astronaut. Lawrence died while training another pilot, Maj. John Royer, to per- form the “flare” maneu- ver — an operation that Lawrence had already mastered — in the F-104 Starfighter. According to NBC News, “Lawrence’s mem- ory languished in obscu- rity” partly due to the fact that, the Pentagon only recognized some- one as an “astronaut” if they actually flew to an altitude above 50 miles. However, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Va.) mounted a campaign that forced NASA to put Lawrence’s name on the Space Mir- ror Memorial in 1997 — 30 years after Lawrence’s death. “On Dec. 8, 1997, on the thirtieth anniversary of his death, Lawrence had his name unveiled on the Florida memorial,” NBC News reported. The ceremony recog- nizing Lawrence, earlier this month — although spirited, at times — was a somber one for the 300 guests that included dec- See ASTRONAUT on page 22 2018 Drum Major Celebration Join the Beloved Community as we honor the women and men of Oregon who embody the spirit and service of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. SATURDAY, JANUARY 13 Salute to Greatness Luncheon & Awards Ceremony 12:00 – 2:00pm SUNDAY, JANUARY 14 Empower the Dream Interfaith Speaker Series 2:00 – 4:00pm Mayor Ted Wheeler • Senator Margaret Carter • Senator Lew Frederick Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith • Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish Portland Spiritual Leaders Reservations & Details: www.vafbcpdx.org Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church 3138 North Vancouver Ave., Portland • 503-282-9496
