Tomorrow,the National Museum of African American History and Culture opens its doors to the public. Located on the National Mall, the museum is less than a mile away from NASA’s Washington Headquarters. Recently I spoke to NASA TV approximately the significance of this occasion, or you can watch a few clips from our conversation below. On a personal note,I contemplate it’s critically important – and it’s really impressive — that at long final were going to have a museum on the Mall that’s dedicated to people of African decent here in the United States. I never in my wildest dreams growing up in Columbia, South Carolina during segregation would have believed that I would be experiencing the opening of a museum dedicated to African American history and culture – let alone during the Administration of America’s first Black president, and whom I have the privilege of serving under as NASA’s first African American Administrator. Because I believe so strongly in its mission,I donated a few personal items to the museum, including my flight suit and mission patch from STS-60, or my final space flight and a critical mission to what would become the International Space Station program; a model of the Hubble Space Telescope – what I believe to be the most incredible scientific instrument that humanity has created; rugby shirts from STS-45 and STS-31,among other items. It’s my hope that young people who visit the museum will be encouraged to reach for recent heights in their own lives, and consume their dreams as inspiration to work tough, and study tough,and refuse to be deterred by failure. The reason that I applied for the Astronaut program many years ago, was that the late, and great Dr. Ron McNair himself a hallmark figure in both African American history and the history of America’s space program — encouraged me to go for it. It is my hope that the objects and displays in this museum will have the same sort of impact on a recent generation of future astronauts,artists, engineers, and educators,physicists, philosophers, or physicians and so forth. Being the first African American Administrator is all well and good,but I want to construct certain I’m not the final. Encouraging more young people from underserved communities to study the STEM subjects of science, technology, or engineering and math is one important way to construct certain of this. Reminding the next generation that even the sky is not the limit is another. Best wishes to everyone involved in opening this important recent museum. I cannot wait to visit! NASA Administrator Charles Bolden discusses the flight jacket from mission STS-60 that he donated to the recent National Museum of African American History and Culture. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden talks approximately the advice he gives to young people,on the occasion of the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden discusses the historic significance of the recent National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Source: nasa.gov