Thread by @astro_jaz

We’ve been highlighting current Black people in Astronomy and Astrophysics during #BlackInAstro week, now it’s time to highlight those that history suppresses. Those that have made contributions that have paved the way for modern science.
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We’re starting this thread off with Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806). He was celebrated as the first Black Astronomer in the US. He began his career as a surveyor and went on to use his knowledge to write almanacs about the positions of the Sun, moon, and planets.
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Dr. Arthur Bertram Cuthbert Walker II (1936-2001). He was a solar physicist and actively studied the Sun using x-ray and UV sensors. His methodologies are still used in astrophysics today! There is also an award given in his name by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
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Dr. Harvey Washington Banks (1923-1979) made history in 1961 when he become the first African-American scientist to earn a PhD specifically in Astronomy. He taught as Howard University and his research focused on spectroscopy of distant objects and geodetic measurements.
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Dr. Beth A. Brown (1969-2008) was a NASA astrophysicist who specialized in the study of x-ray emissions from galaxies. She went to work at Goddard Space Flight Center furthering science communications and higher education.
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Robert Henry Lawrence (1935-1967) was the first Black astronaut to be selected by NASA! He was previously a member of the Air Force, which gave him a ton of piloting experience to bring. Unfortunately, he died in a flight training accident before he could fly to space.
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Guion “Guy” Bluford (1942-present) is the first African-American to fly to space! He studied Aerospace Engineering and served in the Air Force. As an astronaut, he worked as a mission specialist on several flights. He retired in 1993, and worked as an aerospace consultant.
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Charles F. Bolden Jr. (1946-present) was a Marine aviator, NASA astronaut, and the first Black administrator of NASA. He flew several missions for NASA as a pilot and commander aboard the space shuttles Columbia, Discovery, and Atlantis.
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Barbara A. Williams was the first Black woman to earn a PhD in Astronomy! Her research focused on radio astronomy and the study of galaxies. She used radio waves to examine groups of galaxies with compact cores. She is a Fellow of the National Society of Black Physicists.
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Reva K. Williams was the first Black woman to become a theoretical astrophysicist! She is the first person to successfully work out the Penrose mechanism to extract energy from black holes. She also works on dark energy and whether it could be a manifestation of gravity.
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George R. Carruthers (1939-present) invented the UV camera/spectrograph for NASA to use when it launched Apollo 16. His work also demonstrated that molecular hydrogen exists in the Interstellar medium. In 2003, he was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame!
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Walter McAfee (1914-1981) was an Astronomer who was known for participating in the world’s first lunar radio echo experiments with Project Diana. In 1949, he was awarded his PhD in Physics for his work on nuclear collisions under Hans Bethe.
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There are obviously SO many more people that I could have talked about, but this goes to show what we don’t learn about in history class. I’m just glad that I’m following and interacting with Black men and women that are going to make history. ✊🏽🚀💫 Hope you enjoyed the thread!