Hello - my name is Leland Melvin.
I am an engineer, snowboarder, chemist,
musician, former NFL player, astronaut,
and the Associate Administrator for Education at NASA.
I am also Black History.
Black History Month celebrates the combined
experiences and achievements
of all African-American people.
Right now is an exciting time in Black history,
with the first African-American president, Barack Obama;
and the first African-American
Administrator of NASA, Charlie Bolden.
The past 100 years of powered flight
and five decades of NASA have been greatly
enhanced by many African-American
visionaries, innovators and explorers.
The astronaut corps was not always diverse,
but in recent times, NASA has made considerable effort
to create group of astronauts
that mirror America’s population.
In the late 1970s, NASA began selecting
African Americans as astronaut candidates,
and the 1978 astronaut class included
Guy Bluford, Ron McNair and Fred Gregory.
Bluford, an Air Force pilot, was the first
African American to fly in space –
in 1983 on Challenger during the shuttle’s
first night launch and landing.
He was followed in 1984 by physicist McNair,
who later died in the Challenger accident.
Gregory, who was both the first African-American
space shuttle pilot and commander; he later became
the first African-American deputy administrator of NASA.
Other notable Black astronauts include:
Charlie Bolden, who was the pilot and commander
of four shuttle missions in the 80s and early 90s
and is the current NASA administrator.
Mae Jemison, a medical doctor and engineer,
was the first African-American female to fly in space.
Dr. Bernard Harris was the first African American
to walk in space during his flight
on the orbiter Discovery in 1995.
Many others followed, including Michael P. Anderson,
who lost his life in 2003 onboard the space shuttle
Columbia along with six other crewmembers.
While Black History Month celebrates the achievements
and contributions of African Americans,
its lessons are valuable to ALL Americans,
because it highlights core values
that make our country so great.
Many of these achievements we celebrate
are even more amazing because they occurred
in the face of great scientific and societal challenges.
The perseverance, courage, independence, service,
and freedom they exhibited are qualities that ALL
pioneers of the air and space frontier require.
We as a nation continue to strive in equality
and opportunity, just as NASA continues to pursue
innovation in a global economy and creation
of a diverse, technologically savvy workforce.
At NASA, we are proud of our efforts to partner
with historically black colleges and universities,
to ensure that education experiences
are available to everyone.
As a result, Black history will always
be a key part of NASA’s history.
Flying in space has literally shown me
a single planet, without borders.
One human race and one Earth – a world of diversity,
of every race, background, creed and nationality.
We are STRENGTHENED by this diversity.
Through events like Black History Month,
we're celebrating the wonderful contributions
that all citizens bring to our common goal
of advancing knowledge through exploration.
We are furthering NASA and the nation’s commitment
to opportunity. This history is our legacy,
our yesterday. But it’s also here and now.
And it’s the future – our future.
Together we will continue to reach new heights
and reveal the unknown so that the things we do
and what we learn will benefit all humankind.