Perceptions of African American Women Essay

I am taking some classes that will eventually qualify me to major(ip) in Astro Physics, or chemical engineering, I also want to formulate with NASA and train as an piazzaman. It was amazing to know that Dr. Mae C. Jemison who happens to be the youngest of three children natural to a middle class African American family, Charlie Jemison, a aliment worker and his wife, Dorothy, a teacher. Dr. Mae C.Jemison was the first subdued woman astronaut to be in space in an era filled with segregation and racism, she is a Chemical engineer, scientist, physician, teacher and astronaut, she has a wide range of experience in technology, engineering, and aesculapian research. In addition to her extensive background in science, she is well-versed in African and black Studies, speaks fluent Russian, Japanese, and Swahili, as well as incline and is trained in dance and choreography. Dr. Mae C.Jamison was an inspiration to me, and probably to many African American women. She was full of resil ience and determination especially to have weeed and achieved winner in an unusual field of endeavor for many African American women, I applaud her determination to make a difference among the African American women and starks in Diaspora. After graduating from Morgan Park High School in 1973 at the age of 16, Dr. Mae Jemison earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, while also fulfilling the requirements for a BA in African-American Studies.After earning these degrees in 1977, she attended Cornell University and received a Doctor of care for degree in 1981. During medical school she traveled to Cuba, Kenya and Thailand, providing primary medical care to people living there. This is an indication of her humanitarian efforts and eagerness to reach out to the less privileged population. Having a desire to do to a greater extent with her life, she enrolled in graduate classes in engineering and applied to NASA for admission to the astronaut curriculum.She was tu rned down on her first application, maybe because she is a black woman, but she persevered and in 1987 was accepted on her second application. She became one of the xv candidates accepted from over 2,000 applicants. When Dr. Mae Jemison successfully completed her astronaut training program in August 1988, she became the fifth black astronaut and the first black female astronaut in NASA history. In completing her first space flight, Dr. Mae Jemison logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds in space, making her the first African-American woman in space.She says, I had to learn very early not to limit myself due to others limited imaginations. I have learned these age never to limit anyone else due to my limited imagination. This is an inspiration to other blacks in commonplace who normally assume a second class citizen and take that they will never do well or will be appreciated in whatever they do. This is a wake-up call, and manifestation of the saying intention is the mother of invention. In 1993, Dr. Mae Jemison resigned from NASA and founded the Jemison Group, Inc.to research, develop and implement advanced technologies conform to to the social, political, cultural and economic context of the individual, especially for the developing world. Current projects imply Alpha, (TM) a satellite based telecommunication system to improve wellness care in westerly Africa and The Earth We Share, (TM) an international science campsite for students ages 12 to 16, that utilizes an experiential curriculum. Among her current projects are several that focus on improving healthcare in Africa. She is also a professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College.Dr. Mae Jamison made a name for herself and name for blacks in general Her entrepreneurial spirit put her in the limelight and acts as a boost to determined black men and women in Diaspora. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. It was quite affect to read round Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, I know almost nothing about this giant and business leader of modern Africa who is presently the current chairperson of Liberia. accord to what I have read so far about this big businessman of Africa she was born In Monrovia, the capital of Liberia on October 29, 1938.During this period, Liberians had no clue that the offset female president of an African republic had been born into their mist. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a girlfriend to descendents of original colonists of Liberia (ex-African slaves from America, who promptly on arrival set about enslaving the native people using the social system of their old American know as a basis for their new society). These descendents are known in Liberia as Americo-Liberians.From what I read, I noticed that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was truly an intellectual authority house, a charismatic leader and destined to make a interchange in Liberia and contribute her quota in Africa. From 1948 to 1955 Ellen Johnson studied accounts and economic science at the College of West Afri ca in Monrovia. After marriage at the age of 17 to mob Sirleaf, she travelled to America (in 1961) and continued her studies, achieving a degree from the University of Colorado. From 1969 to 1971 she read economics at Harvard, gaining a masters degree in world administration.Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf hence returned to Liberia and began working in William Tolberts (True Whig Party) government. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf also served as Minister of finance from 1972 to 73, but left after a disagreement over public spending, this is an indication of her prudence and will power. As the 70s progressed, life under Liberias one-party state became more polarized to the benefit of the Americo-Liberian elite. On 12 April 1980 police captain Sergeant Samuel Kayon Doe, a member of the indigenous Krahn ethnic group, seized power in a military coup.With the Peoples Redemption Council now in power, Samuel Doe began a purge of government. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf narrowly escaped choosing exile in Kenya. F rom 1983 to 1985 she served as Director of Citibank in Nairobi. I will say that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had a lot of courage, because it was quite unusual for a woman to challenge a dictatorial incumbent president in Africa without being kidnapped, tortured or killed in the process, although She was later sentenced to ten years in prison.Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf spent estimable a short time incarcerated, before being allowed to leave the region once again as an exile. During the 1980s she served as Vice electric chair of both the African Regional Office of Citibank, in Nairobi, and of (HSCB) Equator Bank, in Washington. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf play an active role in the transitional government as the country prepared for the 2005 elections, and eventually stood for president against her rival the ex-international footballer, George Manneh Weah.Despite the elections being called fairly and orderly, Weah repudiated the result, which gave a majority to Johnson-Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson-Sirle af eventually became Liberias first elected female president, as well as the first elected female president in the continent Africa. . In 2005 She established a Truth and propitiation Commission with a mandate to promote national peace, security, unity and propitiation by investigating more than 20 years of civil run afoul in the country and in November 2007, she received the United States Presidential palm tree of Freedom, the U.S. governments highest civilian award. She is truly a giant and queen of modern Africa. References 1. http//space. about. com/cs/formerastronauts/a/jemisonbio. htm 2. http//www. k-grayengineeringeducation. com/blog/index. php/2008/09/12/first-african-american-women-in-space. 3. http//www. joinafrica. com/africa_of_the_week/ellenjohnsonliberia. htm.