"Columbia, Houston, we see your tire pressure messages and we did not copy your last.
" were the last words heard from the Columbia Space Shuttle, which exploded during re-entry to Earth, killing all seven of its astronauts. This included the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon. However, with Black History month upon us, and our nation in mourning, we might ask ourselves the question, "What about the first African-American astronaut?" The answer is found in a young man from Chicago, Illinois.
Born on October 2, 1935 (in Chicago), Robert H. Lawrence Jr. was easily distinguished from his peers. He graduated from Englewood High School at the age of 16, and in the top 10% of his class. By age 20, Lawrence had successfully completed four years at Bradley University and obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry. During his time spent at Bradley, he ascended to the position of Cadet Commander of the Bradley Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. Ensuing graduation, Lawrence received the commission of Second Lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve, and at 21 years of age, he received official Air Force pilot ranking at Malden Air Force Base in 1956.
During the next eleven years, Lawrence obtained over 2,500 flight hours, the standing of a senior pilot, and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University in Physical Chemistry. Finally, after completing the Air Force Test Pilot Training School at Edwards Air Force Base in June, 1967, Major Lawrence was selected to become an astronaut in the United States Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory (which would later become the International Space Station) on June 10, 1967. However, before he was able to take off on the project, Major Lawrence met an early death. On December 8, 1967, he was flying as an instructor pilot in an F-104 Starfighter jet when his student lost control of the aircraft, leading to the crash that took his life. This sudden death spurred some controversy:.
One of the great mysteries of the universe is the black hole. ... They came up with the name "black hole" because of the fact that not even light could escape their gravitational pull. ... Since all black holes are created from the collapse of a star, one must know a little bit about how a star is formed. ... This is what we call a black hole. ... These spinning black holes are known as Kerr Black Holes, for Roy P. ...
According to the known laws of physics only a black hole could be that dense. ... There is not a great deal known about Black Holes even today. ... It seems as though the two black holes will in fact merge, or at least crash, into each other. ... This new discovery is what is known as a "wandering black hole."" It is a black hole that moves independently through space and has no accretion disk and gives off little to no X-ray energy. ...
American racism and exploitation have generated black protest. ... Yet the larger significances of black protest lie in the fact that it is forever present in some form. ... This became known as the Niagara Movement. Although, this movement established about 30 branches throughout the country, it gained little ground since money to support black advancement was primarily going to Booker T. ... Last, in 1923 the court overturned a murder conviction against a black, because blacks had been excluded from the jury that had convicted him. ...
As another enigmatic figure of the Black Power movement Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X, positioned himself in sharp contrast to King. ... His aim was to empower black people by uniting them under the roof of Black Nationalism, which fostered independence and self-determination instead of a mere acceptance by and an integration into the dominant society. ... Violence was understood as a floating signifier: the fact that violence could be destructive and oppressive or productive and revolutionary signaled that its meaning lay in its context. ... After his assassination in 1965, a seve...
The most intense operations were directed against the Black movement, basically the Black Panther Party. ... But all of this and maybe more occurred in an era of reform, so since we don't have all the facts, it will be hard to determine if it all ended. Another "Party" that struggled through the 60's was the Black Panther Party. ... As I mentioned above "that They wanted to the exposed to the public", by doing that the BPP used their rights a little too much and pushy. ... Both groups were known all over states. ...
The Black Death is also known as the Bubonic Plague because of the buboes it gave to its victims. ... What, in fact, had been the real cause of this plague? ... Many kings and rulers tried to make there city be protected but little by little everyone would become a victim. ... The Black Death would come in little as 2 days to 2 weeks. ... This was a good reference tool because it had more detailed facts about the causes and the effects of The Black Death. ...
Malcolm X or Malcolm Little has become one of the leading black movement leaders. ... He dislikes the way the "Hill Negroes" raise up their positions when in fact they can never hope to be on the same level as the white people during the time. ... It is Sophia, her sister Rudy, and Shorty that help him with his little heists. ... His mind opens up and he develops a sense of freedom, "In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life" (Haley 1992, 180). ... No segregationists, no liberals; they would not have known how to interpret the meaning of those words&quo...
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 25,1924 in Omaha, Nebraska to Earl Little, a preacher, and Louise Little, a homemaker. ... In latter years the harassment from the KKK to the Little family did not die down any, in fact when Malcolm was four years old everything got worse causing his father to move their family from Omaha to East Lansing Michigan (Malcolm X Biography). ... He became known as Detroit Red. ... Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam or as other people called them the Black Muslims. ... At Temple No.7 Malcolm preached about racism, self defense fo...
In spite of that fact, some of them, such as Mary Ann Shadd, (who would be recruiting black people for the Civil War) reached freedom. The war was a fact. ... Due to that fact, several black men joined the army, in order to improve their future situation as citizens. ... As it is well known, the Union won the War and all slaves were declared free by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865. ... Little by little politicians were granting Rights, though nowadays there still are several prejudices and racist groups. ...
