August 1983

Guion S. Bluford Jr., a mission specialist from Philadelphia, becomes the first Black American to travel to space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-8. Bluford, an Air Force colonel and aerospace engineer, performs experiments during the six-day mission. His flight, achieved 16 years after the Civil Rights Act, is celebrated as a milestone in Black American achievement.

Guion S. Bluford Jr., an Air Force colonel from Philadelphia, becomes the first Black American in space aboard Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-8. His flight, achieved 16 years after the Civil Rights Act, is celebrated widely in Black American communities as a milestone in representation and achievement.