BHM: Ronald McNair

Ronald McNair was a physicist and NASA astronaut who reached his dream despite the barriers he faced.

McNair was born in 1950 in Lake City, South Carolina. He grew up fascinated with space, following the Soviet and American space programs. But, growing up in Lake City, Jim Crow laws limited his access to public libraries, leading to the police being called on him just for attempting to borrow a book.

Despite that, McNair was named Valedictorian of his high school class and won a scholarship to North Carolina A & T State University. He was awarded a scholarship to MIT and was named Scholar of the Year in 1975.

By 1978, he was presented with the opportunity of his dreams when he was recruited by NASA for a new Space Shuttle program. He was essential to countless missions and projects during his time at NASA, and in 1984 he entered space. McNair was also an avid Jazz musician, and wanted to be the first person to play the saxophone in space. But, on January 26, 1986, McNair and four other astronauts lost their lives when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded.

Although his story was sadly cut short, his impact should always be remembered. In 1989, the Department of Education created the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Achievement Program to support disadvantaged students. In 2004, congress posthumously awarded McNair the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.