Many people remember Ronald McNair as one of the seven astronauts aboard the doomed Space Shuttle Challenger, which exploded shortly after liftoff 25 years ago, and one of the few African-Americans to visit space back then. But I didn't know about his history of dreaming big and challenging the status quo.
During an interview on NPR's "StoryCorps" program yesterday morning, his brother Carl -- who is devoted to continuing Ron's legacy -- described a trip his 9-year-old brother took to the public library in their hometown of Lake City, South Carolina, to check out some books on science and calculus. It was not a place that welcomed African-Americans like himself, and his handling of the situation was brilliant and brave. He went on, by the way, to earn a PhD in physics.
This weekend, the building that housed the library is being dedicated as the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Life History Center.
The story is really worth a listen.
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