Ronald McNair was 9 years old when a South Carolina staff person told him he could not check out books from a segregated library in 1959. Refusing to leave, a determined McNair sat on the counter while the police were called, as well as McNair’s mother. The police arrived, told the library staff to let the young boy have his books, and McNair walked out alongside his mother and brother.
McNair went on to earn his Ph.D. in physics at MIT and became one of the first Black Americans selected as astronauts by NASA, alongside Guion S. Bluford, Jr. and Frederick Gregory.
McNair’s first spaceflight was the STS-41B mission, aboard the “Challenger” shuttle. He successfully maneuvered the robotic arm, which allowed astronaut Bruce McCandless to perform the first space walk without being tethered to the spacecraft.
The second space flight for McNair would be his last. He, along with six other NASA astronauts, were aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger when it exploded 73 seconds after takeoff in 1986. Everyone on board the shuttle was killed.
Today, the library in South Carolina where McNair was refused books is named after the heroic boy determined to make a difference.
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THIS WILL BE MY LAST POST IN AUGUST AND I WILL RETURN LATER IN SEPTEMBER. ENJOY THE REST OF THE SUMMER!!
The focus of my Daily Positive Impact posts is to provide readers with sites that make available resources focused on creating positive impact, amusing real life stories and images that help us all smile during these difficult times, and examples of positive daily actions that have been taken that are included to energize readers to take their own actions to make our world a better place. If you are already there, thanks!!
Have a healthy, positive and impactful life, Peter Prichard CMF
-WEBSITE/BLOG – https://havepositiveimpact.com/
-AUTHOR – the International #1 Amazon Bestseller and Readers’ Favorite 5 Star Award Recipient – “Have a Positive Impact During Uncertain Times” – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1732793808
Readers Favorite 5 Star Review stated, “If you want to make a difference in the world, but don’t know where to start, or want to make a difference in your own life, but don’t know how, this book was written for you.”
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100% of the revenue from my 3 books available on Amazon go to the three professional causes represented in my books- lessening sexual assault and bullying, lessening deaths from tobacco products, and increasing instances of positive impact.
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