Celebrating Black History month 2011
Ronald Ervin McNair was the second African American in space. An accomplished physicist and saxophonist, McNair was also a graduate of one of the largest HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities), North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University in Greensboro, North Carolina.
I believe I was especially proud of Dr. McNair for that simple fact, which showed that the HBCUs were capable of educating minorities, especially in helping them achieve one of the most demanding of ambitions out there.
A native of North Carolina, McNair went into space initially aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on STS-41-B in February of 1984. He was then selected for the ill-fated STS-51-L mission which blew up 73 seconds into the launch with all seven souls aboard lost.
Ronald McNair was a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
His official NASA bio is here.
