The Space Race

As "The Space Race" (2023 release; 90 min.) opens, we are reminded that when the US space program started, it was literally a club of all white male test pilots. We then go to "1960" and in the midst of the presidential election, then-Senator Kohn F. Kennedy sees an opportunity to attract the black voters: "How quickly can you make me a Black astronaut?", he asks. It is the start of a long journey for Black astronauts hoping to go into space. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is co-directed by Lisa Cortes ("Little Richard: I Am Everything") and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza. Here they look back the long path that Black astronauts ended up taking to get into space (and answering along the way who in fact the very first Black astronaut in space was). Does it surprise you that along the way they encountered ignorance, stereotyping, and racism? The film makers were able to track down many of the people involved in this, including Charlie Bolden, Ed Dwight, Guy Bluford and many others. This movie reminds us how powerful good storytelling can be. No special effects needed! As an aside, it is unfortunate that the movie is called "The Space Race" as there are many other previous projects (not just in the movie industry) with that very name, and also because it seems to refer to a race against time, when in fact it refers to the human race, and the Black race in particular.

"The Space Race" premiered at last year's Tribeca Film Festival to immediate critical acclaim. There is good reason why this movie is currently rated 88% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. It started streaming recently (probably in celebration of February being Black History Month) on Hulu, where I caught it the other night. If you are a fan of the NASA space program, or simply in the mood for an inspirational and uplifting human story, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.