The Tom Joyner Morning Show

On this day in 1978, NASA graduated its first group of Space Shuttle astronauts which signaled a new day for the space program. Among the group of 35, three Black men went on to leave their mark on history as explorers of space. Maj. Frederick D. Gregory of Washington, Col. Guion Bluford of Pennsylvania, and […]

The final launch of Atlantis on July 8 will mark the end of the American space era, where six of these unique spacecrafts flew 135 missions. Of those missions, 20 African-Americans earned the title “Astronaut,” and 13 actually went to space. The Root honors these distinct men and women in a biographical gallery. See The […]