Mae Jemison had fear of heights.
Aside from being one of the most interesting facts about Mae Jemison, it is also one of the most unexpected. You wouldn’t expect an astronaut to be afraid of anything, but Mae Jemison shared she was afraid of heights.
Her astronaut training, however, helped her overcome her fears. She used her drive and passion to push through, and soon enough, learning how to stay balanced helped her get over her fear of heights.
Her bravery and hard work led to her becoming the first Black woman in space. She followed in the footsteps of Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.
At Stanford, Mae Jemison choreographed a musical called Out of the Shadows.
Most people think science and art don’t go together. Mae Jemison, on the other hand, proved it wrong. Ever since a child, Jemison has had a love for the arts, especially dancing.
At 8 years old, she began studying ballet, and she later learned African and Japanese dance as well. When she was in high school, she joined the Modern Dance Club and the cheerleading team. Her love for dance didn’t stop even when she was in college studying chemical engineering.
At Stanford, she choreographed Out of the Shadows, a musical about the experiences of African Americans. She was one of the few African Americans in her classes, and Jemison was no stranger to discrimination. Her passion for dance and her identity as a Black woman influenced her choreography.
This is one of the interesting facts about Mae Jemison that only a few people know. Mae Jemison isn’t just one of the most famous Black scientists ever. She is also a dancer and an advocate for equality.
Mae Jemison once appeared on the famous TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation.
As a child, Mae Jemison only had a few female Black astronauts she could look up to. However, this didn’t mean Mae Jemison didn’t have any inspiration growing up. One of the interesting facts about Mae Jemison is she loves the TV show Star Trek.
Star Trek is a popular sci-fi TV show about space explorers aboard the USS Enterprise. Jemison’s favorite character from the show was Lieutenant Uhura, the shuttle’s communications officer. African-American actress Nichelle Nichols played Lieutenant Uhura. Because of her, Jemison developed an interest in space.
Actor LeVar Burton, Jr., who played Geordi La Forge, found out Jemison was a fan of the show. He invited her to appear in an episode, and Jemison readily agreed. In 1993, Mae Jemison appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation, in the episode “Second Chances”. She became the first real astronaut to appear on the show.