The Space Race

Our Celebration of Black History Month Continues With THE SPACE RACE & Q&A with Astronaut Leland Melvin!
One Night Only, February 5!
Please Register For a Free Ticket at The Link Above!

THE SPACE RACE weaves together the stories of Black astronauts seeking to break the bonds of social injustice to reach for the stars, including Guion Bluford, Ed Dwight and Charles Bolden among many others. In THE SPACE RACE, directors Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza profile the pioneering Black pilots, scientists, and engineers who joined NASA to serve their country in space, even as their country failed to achieve equality for them back on Earth. From 1963, when the assassination of JFK thwarted Captain Ed Dwight’s quest to reach the moon, to 2020, when the echoes of the civil unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd reached the International Space Station, the story of African Americans at NASA is a tale of world events colliding with the aspirations of uncommon men. The bright dreams of Afrofuturism become reality in THE SPACE RACE, turning science fiction into science fact, and forever redefining what “the right stuff” looks like, giving us new heroes to celebrate, and a fresh history to explore.
Followed by Q&A with Astronaut and Executive Producer, Leland Melvin

About Leland Melvin
Leland Mevin is a space thought leader, astronaut, engineer, educator, producer, and former NFL wide receiver for the Detroit Lions. He completed  two Space Shuttle missions to help build the International Space Station. Leland served as the co-chair of the White House’s Federal Coordination in STEM Education Task Force. His memoir, Chasing Space, shares his personal journey from the gridiron to the stars, examining the intersecting roles of community, perseverance, and grace that align to create opportunities for success.

Presented in partnership with National Geographic Documentary Films, and as part of our
Science on Screen® programming. Science on Screen is an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.