DENIED BY RACISM ED DWIGHTS JOURNEY TO BECOMING AN ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE

Ed Dwight Jr. is an accomplished artist and former U.S. Air Force pilot who became the first African American astronaut candidate in the early 1960s. Despite not being selected for the astronaut program, he continued to serve in the Air Force and later pursued a successful career in art, creating sculptures and memorials around the world. His work includes several Underground Railroad memorials in Michigan, Canada, and New Jersey. As an important figure in the history of African Americans in space and the arts, Dwight's legacy continues to inspire and be remembered today.