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[Music]

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we're so excited to have this special

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collaboration with nasa johnson space

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center and we're honored to present this

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historic event

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i'm also very excited to introduce the

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moderator for our program she's also the

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first african-american woman to be the

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director of nasa johnson space center

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and vanessa white

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i'm happy to be here with you all at

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space center houston today we're going

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to hear from former and current

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astronauts who will share with you their

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robert kirby

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jeanette x

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bernard harris

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leland melvin

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stephanie wilson victor glover

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[Music]

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i'm going to start with a question and

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i'm going to throw it out and would like

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for everyone to have an opportunity to

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give a response

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describe to us a picture of who you

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thought you would be as a student or

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young child

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what were you studying and what type of

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person did you think you could be

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we'll start with stephanie well i

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when i was in middle school i was very

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fortunate that my

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parents were very supportive and

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education was very important to them

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and i was given a school assignment and

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a career awareness class to interview

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somebody

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that worked in an interesting career

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field and i was interested in astronomy

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at the time and after talking to a local

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area astronomy professor i was

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fascinated by his work

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i thought that that would be an

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excellent way to contribute

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when i was a really young kid probably

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sixth grade my mother gave me this asian

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appropriate

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non-ocean certified chemistry set

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and i mixed these two dissimilar

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chemicals and created the most

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incredible explosion in my mother's

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living room i burned a whole her carpet

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my mother was she was small but she had

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the power to knock me off the

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but um it was that moment that i

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realized that i could be a chemist

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because i'd already done it all i needed

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was a lab coat and goggles

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so so chemistry was something i learned

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at an early age and uh i love sports but

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i never saw myself going into

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the nfl because just i don't know for

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whatever reason but i did see myself as

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a scientist so stem was always something

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that was very critical to me it's funny

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i think it all starts with chemistry

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because my mother was a chemistry

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teacher

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and as i got older the chemistry

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set kept getting bigger and bigger i

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didn't burn a hole in her carpet thank

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god because i might not be here if that

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happened but uh but um but that was

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always interesting to me and and and i

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grew up

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in baltimore during a time when apollo

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was big so i just kept seeing these

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larger and larger rockets being designed

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and it just design always interested me

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and i always thought i was going to be a

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design engineer that's what i was going

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to be

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so as a kid um i didn't really know who

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i thought i would be when i grew up i

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just kind of you know did my thing and

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you know did my work and

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one day you know when i was about nine

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years old my twin sister and i we

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brought home our report cards and back

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then you had a report card and you had a

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row of all your grades and you could see

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immediately okay you had all a's or b's

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or whatever

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and you know janet and i we're pretty

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obedient kids and we knew that if we

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brought home anything less than a our

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mother was not going to be happy and

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yeah she she knew how to throw a shoe or

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whatever to make sure you stayed in line

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but you know one day we brought our

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report cards home and my older brother

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goes wow

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you guys can probably become aerospace

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engineers or even an astronaut and my

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nine-year-old brain said well they'll

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never pick me to be an astronaut but i

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can definitely become an aerospace

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engineer and so at nine i had set my

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sights on becoming an engineer an

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aerospace engineer i didn't even know

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i guess the first version of who i saw

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what i you know that i could become was

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my father my father was a police officer

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in pomona where i grew up and so i just

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really was blown away by the way people

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responded to him you know and so i i

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looked up to him but other people

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clearly didn't so

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i wanted to be a police officer like my

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father

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i also looked up to marcus allen los

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angeles raiders running back and uh and

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i wanted to be like marcus allen so

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sports were important my father and his

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influence were important and then i saw

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a shuttle launch on tv and thought i

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would love to control that thing and

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drive one of those and and so the the

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interest in tinkering and machines and

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speed and power and sports and also just

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wanting to be a good person like my

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father those things all wove together

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and

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in one way or another led to me being

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here

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so i was listening to the others talk

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about what inspired them and what

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inspired me was what inspired

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a lot of american kids back in the 60s i

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grew up watching the space program

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i i learned very early that i like

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science and science fiction so i always

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like to say that i was an original star

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trek fan

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and so that got me exposed to space on

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television but in real life i watched

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the program develop you know the mercury

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program gemini program apollo program

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and in 1969 when i turned 13 years old

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i watched neil and buzzed

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land on the moon and i said i want to

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follow in their footsteps

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[Music]

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first set foot upon the moon

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july 1969

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50.

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and as i looked around to uh at nasa to

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the point that we're talking about race

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i didn't see anybody who looked like me

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i didn't see any women in fact the uh

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first

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people that they selected to be the

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creme de la creme you know the top

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astronauts were white guys all white

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guys

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and so i remember saying to myself even

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though i don't see anybody who looks

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like me

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[Music]

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did race ever play a role in the idea of

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who you could be

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did race ever play a factor i would say

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one major area where race played a

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factor was i in high school so as i'm

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kind of starting to develop this plan on

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how do i become those things and and i

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knew college was in my path but i i

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didn't have any neither of my parents

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went to college so you know we were

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having to figure this out together and

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the naval academy came to my house and

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said do you want to play football at

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annapolis and i was like no thank you

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and west point came said the same thing

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and i said nope

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and annapolis actually came back and

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says would you like to wrestle and that

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was really my main sport i love football

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i wanted to be like marcus allen but i

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was a better wrestler and you want to

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come grapple at annapolis and i said no

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thank you and so i don't know if any of

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you have seen uh the movie boys in the

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hood but the father in that movie is

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furious styles and and the conversation

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that he has with his son is something

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very similar to how i felt it it was

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that there wasn't a place for me in the

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military and so i go to college i go off

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to college and one of my mentors i'm in

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his office waiting for him to come in

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he's one of the few black faculty

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members at my university and he comes

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into the room and as he steps in he is

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in this full regalia the black suit with

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the gold around the wrist and the hat

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and i was like wow sir when did you

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enlist and he said i'm actually an

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officer in the navy reserves

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boom

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the next version of what i could become

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and that to me was there's so many

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lessons i pulled from that but the power

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of exposure and seeing yourself in

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something

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hello everyone

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victor glover here checking in during my

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six-month mission aboard the

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international space station

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[Applause]

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[Music]

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we were growing up in the 60s it was

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interesting to

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well see

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some of the greatest feats of humankind

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on the television will black and white

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television but turn the channel and see

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some of the greatest challenges that we

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had in the united states at the time so

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watching martin luther king at the same

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time we're going up to going to the moon

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it was incredible

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talking to my mom and who was a teacher

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who said you know would always ask us

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what do you want to do when you grow up

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and kind of pushing us

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i remember going to her and saying mom i

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know what i want to be i want to be an

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astronaut

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and started to turn around but then

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again she turned back she said but

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if that's what you want to do you can be

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and do anything that you want

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good time

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[Music]

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[Applause]

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[Music]

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[Applause]

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[Music]

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as a kid i became interested in

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airplanes and i liked making model

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airplanes and reading books on airplanes

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and i was fascinated by airplanes and so

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that proved to be

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what i find later on to be my

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passion

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you know i don't know if i had a vision

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of who i wanted to be when i was younger

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but i will tell you this i think i was

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born to be an engineer i think

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specifically i was born to be an

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electrical engineer i remember being in

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i think it was seventh grade we had this

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assignment before we could take off

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early to go to recesses you had to write

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down

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where you saw yourself in

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i don't know 10 15 25 years and i simply

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wrote down on my little assignment sheet

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that i want to be able to look up from

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where i was working and see the

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curvature of the earth from space

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and i plunked that down on the desk and

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hit it off the recess my mother

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was my main inspiration that they

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discovered art

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uh when i was

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in preschool and she had me in every art

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class that ever was

280
00:11:10,150 --> 00:11:09,360
and she got me a library card when i was

281
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four

282
00:11:15,110 --> 00:11:12,800
and we and we had conversations and she

283
00:11:17,350 --> 00:11:15,120
would talk about astronomy and orbital

284
00:11:20,150 --> 00:11:17,360
mechanics and space i grew up in the

285
00:11:22,470 --> 00:11:20,160
segregated south so i am a son of the

286
00:11:24,790 --> 00:11:22,480
south if you will blacks and whites went

287
00:11:26,470 --> 00:11:24,800
to separate schools and had separate

288
00:11:27,269 --> 00:11:26,480
facilities and everything

289
00:11:29,509 --> 00:11:27,279
but

290
00:11:31,670 --> 00:11:29,519
in the mid 50s or so there were lots of

291
00:11:32,949 --> 00:11:31,680
programs on television that talked about

292
00:11:34,630 --> 00:11:32,959
life in the military and actually

293
00:11:36,470 --> 00:11:34,640
promoted the military so that's where i

294
00:11:37,750 --> 00:11:36,480
saw the naval academy i fell in love

295
00:11:39,670 --> 00:11:37,760
with the uniforms more than anything

296
00:11:42,069 --> 00:11:39,680
else and the beauty of the what's called

297
00:11:43,910 --> 00:11:42,079
the yard it's the the campus of the u.s

298
00:11:45,750 --> 00:11:43,920
naval academy and it didn't hurt that

299
00:11:47,269 --> 00:11:45,760
all the pretty girls from all over the

300
00:11:50,810 --> 00:11:47,279
northeast came there on the weekends

301
00:11:55,350 --> 00:11:53,269
[Music]

302
00:11:57,990 --> 00:11:55,360
it was sort of assumed that astronauts

303
00:11:59,509 --> 00:11:58,000
never had hard times yes i've had hard

304
00:12:00,710 --> 00:11:59,519
times too at some point in everybody's

305
00:12:02,150 --> 00:12:00,720
life they're going to have that moment

306
00:12:03,670 --> 00:12:02,160
where they're going to have to

307
00:12:05,910 --> 00:12:03,680
step off the ledge they're going to have

308
00:12:07,910 --> 00:12:05,920
to just make that push out into the void

309
00:12:08,949 --> 00:12:07,920
and it's always always always going to

310
00:12:10,870 --> 00:12:08,959
be a

311
00:12:13,509 --> 00:12:10,880
extreme gut check but i think the

312
00:12:16,310 --> 00:12:13,519
important thing is to keep your goal in

313
00:12:18,870 --> 00:12:16,320
mind and my goal was to succeed and

314
00:12:21,670 --> 00:12:18,880
eventually become an astronaut and to be

315
00:12:23,990 --> 00:12:21,680
patient enough to in order to hang in

316
00:12:26,470 --> 00:12:24,000
there in other words don't quit don't

317
00:12:28,069 --> 00:12:26,480
ever let anybody tell you that you can't

318
00:12:30,790 --> 00:12:28,079
do something and always have an

319
00:12:33,670 --> 00:12:30,800
alternative plan if things in your life

320
00:12:37,590 --> 00:12:33,680
kind of go awry you never

321
00:12:39,670 --> 00:12:37,600
learn a damn thing with your successes

322
00:12:41,190 --> 00:12:39,680
and so so the idea of failure is

323
00:12:42,310 --> 00:12:41,200
probably the best thing that can happen

324
00:12:45,430 --> 00:12:42,320
to people

325
00:12:47,430 --> 00:12:45,440
who will want lasting success

326
00:12:49,110 --> 00:12:47,440
because on the next time around you

327
00:12:51,590 --> 00:12:49,120
think your way through

328
00:12:52,790 --> 00:12:51,600
a better way a more creative way to get

329
00:12:55,269 --> 00:12:52,800
through

330
00:13:01,990 --> 00:12:55,279
to your success and then it forces you

331
00:13:06,870 --> 00:13:03,910
well i feel very honored to be the first

332
00:13:08,629 --> 00:13:06,880
black astronaut to fly in space and in

333
00:13:10,710 --> 00:13:08,639
that role one of the things that i

334
00:13:11,750 --> 00:13:10,720
wanted to do is not only be a role model

335
00:13:14,310 --> 00:13:11,760
for

336
00:13:17,509 --> 00:13:14,320
african americans on the ground but also

337
00:13:20,470 --> 00:13:17,519
be a leader in helping pull other black

338
00:13:22,790 --> 00:13:20,480
astronauts into space with me it is

339
00:13:23,910 --> 00:13:22,800
hugely important to see people who look

340
00:13:27,190 --> 00:13:23,920
like you

341
00:13:30,389 --> 00:13:27,200
um and who can inspire you especially in

342
00:13:32,710 --> 00:13:30,399
fields that you want um because it shows

343
00:13:34,150 --> 00:13:32,720
you i mean right there

344
00:13:35,509 --> 00:13:34,160
the people that are there that you can

345
00:13:38,069 --> 00:13:35,519
touch that you can feel that you can

346
00:13:40,629 --> 00:13:38,079
reach out to that you can talk to

347
00:13:42,710 --> 00:13:40,639
that you know if they can do it then

348
00:13:44,470 --> 00:13:42,720
there's a chance for me to do it too

349
00:13:46,790 --> 00:13:44,480
when i was first thinking about becoming

350
00:13:48,629 --> 00:13:46,800
an astronaut i asked my father can black

351
00:13:49,829 --> 00:13:48,639
people become astronauts remember this

352
00:13:51,590 --> 00:13:49,839
is just a few years after the civil

353
00:13:53,110 --> 00:13:51,600
rights act of 64 had been passed and

354
00:13:54,790 --> 00:13:53,120
there was still a lot of segregation it

355
00:13:56,470 --> 00:13:54,800
didn't go away overnight

356
00:13:58,230 --> 00:13:56,480
and he looked at me he says

357
00:13:59,990 --> 00:13:58,240
not only can you be an astronaut there

358
00:14:01,350 --> 00:14:00,000
have been people black people it was at

359
00:14:03,030 --> 00:14:01,360
least one black pilot who was selected

360
00:14:05,189 --> 00:14:03,040
to be an astronaut but the fact that he

361
00:14:08,710 --> 00:14:05,199
had gone out there and had blazed that

362
00:14:09,509 --> 00:14:08,720
trail meant to me as a five-year-old boy

363
00:14:11,110 --> 00:14:09,519
that

364
00:14:12,949 --> 00:14:11,120
there was no limit there was no there

365
00:14:14,230 --> 00:14:12,959
wasn't nobody's going to stand in my way

366
00:14:15,829 --> 00:14:14,240
the only way i was not going to become

367
00:14:17,670 --> 00:14:15,839
an astronaut is if i decided not to

368
00:14:20,069 --> 00:14:17,680
become an astronaut and i needed that

369
00:14:22,230 --> 00:14:20,079
role model out there to inspire me i you

370
00:14:24,150 --> 00:14:22,240
know i have a connection to all the

371
00:14:26,150 --> 00:14:24,160
african-american astronauts because in

372
00:14:28,870 --> 00:14:26,160
some way either we were in the office

373
00:14:31,030 --> 00:14:28,880
together and so we share experiences

374
00:14:32,790 --> 00:14:31,040
from that or they came before me and i

375
00:14:35,189 --> 00:14:32,800
met them and

376
00:14:37,350 --> 00:14:35,199
it's just a small

377
00:14:38,949 --> 00:14:37,360
sorority slash fraternity

378
00:14:40,150 --> 00:14:38,959
and we try to support each other and you

379
00:14:43,829 --> 00:14:40,160
know we get together every once in a

380
00:14:46,069 --> 00:14:43,839
while and talk and so it's a great group

381
00:15:10,870 --> 00:14:46,079
to be a part of and i appreciate each

382
00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:21,990
and

383
00:15:25,269 --> 00:15:23,670
i want to frame this as this is all

384
00:15:29,030 --> 00:15:25,279
about you guys because you are our

385
00:15:30,310 --> 00:15:29,040
future and again he said ask us anything

386
00:15:33,030 --> 00:15:30,320
but the transparency and the

387
00:15:35,509 --> 00:15:33,040
authenticity is is so important that you

388
00:15:37,829 --> 00:15:35,519
guys go back because you're the leaders

389
00:15:39,110 --> 00:15:37,839
what would the next big culture shift

390
00:15:42,150 --> 00:15:39,120
would you like to see would you want it

391
00:15:45,269 --> 00:15:42,160
to be when i think about what

392
00:15:47,670 --> 00:15:45,279
bus is doing jeff bezos

393
00:15:48,710 --> 00:15:47,680
these billionaires are spending a lot of

394
00:15:50,710 --> 00:15:48,720
money

395
00:15:53,829 --> 00:15:50,720
on these new platforms that's going to

396
00:15:55,430 --> 00:15:53,839
enable us to have that life to have that

397
00:15:57,350 --> 00:15:55,440
economy in space

398
00:15:59,509 --> 00:15:57,360
but then when i go to

399
00:16:00,949 --> 00:15:59,519
you know our communities our black and

400
00:16:03,350 --> 00:16:00,959
brown communities

401
00:16:04,629 --> 00:16:03,360
and see what the kids are doing and

402
00:16:07,590 --> 00:16:04,639
seeing and seeing whether they're

403
00:16:10,870 --> 00:16:07,600
prepared for that future that's when i'm

404
00:16:13,110 --> 00:16:10,880
gonna go oh we got a lot of work to do

405
00:16:15,590 --> 00:16:13,120
because if we're not there

406
00:16:17,990 --> 00:16:15,600
and we're gonna be stuck on earth right

407
00:16:20,230 --> 00:16:18,000
so they're gonna leave us behind

408
00:16:22,870 --> 00:16:20,240
so my vision is that we don't get meth

409
00:16:26,870 --> 00:16:22,880
behind as a people

410
00:16:28,150 --> 00:16:26,880
i got to tell a quick story so yesterday

411
00:16:31,990 --> 00:16:28,160
i was in

412
00:16:33,829 --> 00:16:32,000
national car rental getting my car

413
00:16:35,829 --> 00:16:33,839
and this whole lady was running i was

414
00:16:37,030 --> 00:16:35,839
like hey you know she saw my nasty shirt

415
00:16:37,990 --> 00:16:37,040
on she said

416
00:16:40,389 --> 00:16:38,000
nasa

417
00:16:41,910 --> 00:16:40,399
oh is there this thing tomorrow at space

418
00:16:43,749 --> 00:16:41,920
center houston i'm like yeah are you

419
00:16:45,910 --> 00:16:43,759
coming oh no i didn't fill out the

420
00:16:49,110 --> 00:16:45,920
application i didn't know i said and she

421
00:16:51,829 --> 00:16:49,120
was supposed to be off yesterday right

422
00:16:54,710 --> 00:16:51,839
she was there i was there

423
00:16:56,710 --> 00:16:54,720
and she is here today because she was

424
00:16:58,069 --> 00:16:56,720
supposed to be here today to hear this

425
00:17:00,069 --> 00:16:58,079
chemistry major

426
00:17:02,790 --> 00:17:00,079
going to rule the world one day maybe be

427
00:17:04,549 --> 00:17:02,800
elon elana musk too

428
00:17:05,990 --> 00:17:04,559
i don't know right right but this is

429
00:17:07,270 --> 00:17:06,000
where it starts like we're talking a lot

430
00:17:08,949 --> 00:17:07,280
about what we see for the future and

431
00:17:09,909 --> 00:17:08,959
like shaping a lot of the stuff for the

432
00:17:11,829 --> 00:17:09,919
future

433
00:17:13,669 --> 00:17:11,839
and there's so many

434
00:17:15,029 --> 00:17:13,679
schools so many

435
00:17:16,870 --> 00:17:15,039
um elementary schools that don't have a

436
00:17:19,270 --> 00:17:16,880
lot of funds and et cetera but people

437
00:17:21,350 --> 00:17:19,280
like you come in and they talk and then

438
00:17:23,510 --> 00:17:21,360
my life has changed now i'm an astronaut

439
00:17:24,630 --> 00:17:23,520
you know that's that's crazy for me i've

440
00:17:26,789 --> 00:17:24,640
always wanted to be a scientist i've

441
00:17:28,390 --> 00:17:26,799
always wanted to work like in

442
00:17:30,870 --> 00:17:28,400
nasa i've always wanted to do this has

443
00:17:32,470 --> 00:17:30,880
been my entire life like when i was two

444
00:17:33,830 --> 00:17:32,480
years old i drew a permanent marker on

445
00:17:35,909 --> 00:17:33,840
the wall all of my friends and they were

446
00:17:37,590 --> 00:17:35,919
all astronauts

447
00:17:39,110 --> 00:17:37,600
etc and i've always known what i wanted

448
00:17:40,230 --> 00:17:39,120
to do with myself so it was beautiful

449
00:17:41,990 --> 00:17:40,240
that i felt like the universe came up

450
00:17:43,190 --> 00:17:42,000
with the confirmation like hey

451
00:17:45,110 --> 00:17:43,200
well you're a little bit nervous about

452
00:17:47,110 --> 00:17:45,120
starting classes back up but

453
00:17:48,789 --> 00:17:47,120
here goes leland and

454
00:17:50,390 --> 00:17:48,799
he comes in with all this positivity and

455
00:17:52,870 --> 00:17:50,400
like yeah you should do it and

456
00:17:54,630 --> 00:17:52,880
i did honestly coming from places where

457
00:17:56,310 --> 00:17:54,640
i came from i didn't never see anybody

458
00:17:58,150 --> 00:17:56,320
aspire to work for nasa to be an

459
00:18:00,470 --> 00:17:58,160
astronaut or to be in these fields but

460
00:18:02,470 --> 00:18:00,480
seeing people these heroes

461
00:18:03,750 --> 00:18:02,480
excuse me reaching these heights it lets

462
00:18:04,630 --> 00:18:03,760
me know you know what i can do it's

463
00:18:07,669 --> 00:18:04,640
possible

464
00:18:09,590 --> 00:18:07,679
i have to find myself you know like um

465
00:18:10,950 --> 00:18:09,600
10 times having a lack of motivation

466
00:18:12,710 --> 00:18:10,960
often telling myself i can't do

467
00:18:14,630 --> 00:18:12,720
something if something gets too

468
00:18:16,870 --> 00:18:14,640
difficult if i if i just get frustrated

469
00:18:19,029 --> 00:18:16,880
if i fail too many times or something

470
00:18:21,270 --> 00:18:19,039
so i often just come like i see myself

471
00:18:22,789 --> 00:18:21,280
kind of like almost giving up

472
00:18:24,630 --> 00:18:22,799
so it was all like you ought to be in

473
00:18:27,029 --> 00:18:24,640
such you know leadership in strong

474
00:18:29,750 --> 00:18:27,039
positions it coffee so much within your

475
00:18:31,990 --> 00:18:29,760
time like how do i stay motivated

476
00:18:34,150 --> 00:18:32,000
so one thing that i think about

477
00:18:36,230 --> 00:18:34,160
um which can kind of seem like a burden

478
00:18:37,750 --> 00:18:36,240
at times but it can also be the power to

479
00:18:39,510 --> 00:18:37,760
keep going like i love thinking about

480
00:18:40,950 --> 00:18:39,520
the civil rights era and like the fact

481
00:18:42,390 --> 00:18:40,960
that when you see them getting off those

482
00:18:43,909 --> 00:18:42,400
buses and going to the march on

483
00:18:45,270 --> 00:18:43,919
washington for jobs and freedom say the

484
00:18:47,350 --> 00:18:45,280
whole time

485
00:18:49,430 --> 00:18:47,360
they had bags in their hands they didn't

486
00:18:51,270 --> 00:18:49,440
make those sandwiches there was a party

487
00:18:52,630 --> 00:18:51,280
making sandwiches and then there was a

488
00:18:54,310 --> 00:18:52,640
different group of people that took the

489
00:18:55,430 --> 00:18:54,320
sandwiches to the people and then there

490
00:18:56,789 --> 00:18:55,440
was a different group of people

491
00:18:59,029 --> 00:18:56,799
directing them to get on the buses they

492
00:19:00,870 --> 00:18:59,039
were organized right and that all that

493
00:19:02,150 --> 00:19:00,880
that work was done so you could sit in

494
00:19:03,830 --> 00:19:02,160
this seat

495
00:19:05,510 --> 00:19:03,840
and when you think about that

496
00:19:07,110 --> 00:19:05,520
our legacy runs from the very beginning

497
00:19:09,350 --> 00:19:07,120
up to you right now

498
00:19:10,789 --> 00:19:09,360
it's your job to keep it on

499
00:19:12,950 --> 00:19:10,799
and sometimes that can seem like a

500
00:19:14,630 --> 00:19:12,960
burden but it's also a privilege we are

501
00:19:18,470 --> 00:19:14,640
we are connected to all you know we come

502
00:19:23,190 --> 00:19:21,029
what are the emotions uh that come to

503
00:19:24,390 --> 00:19:23,200
you to your mind when you think about

504
00:19:26,870 --> 00:19:24,400
juneteenth

505
00:19:28,070 --> 00:19:26,880
and the role that you play today

506
00:19:28,870 --> 00:19:28,080
oh wow

507
00:19:32,470 --> 00:19:28,880
so

508
00:19:35,029 --> 00:19:32,480
juneteenth is a way that we honor

509
00:19:35,830 --> 00:19:35,039
uh the fact that right here not far from

510
00:19:37,430 --> 00:19:35,840
us

511
00:19:39,350 --> 00:19:37,440
after the emancipation proclamation was

512
00:19:41,990 --> 00:19:39,360
signed we had slaves that were still

513
00:19:44,630 --> 00:19:42,000
enslaved and it was two years after that

514
00:19:46,150 --> 00:19:44,640
process that they were able to actually

515
00:19:48,470 --> 00:19:46,160
attain the freedom

516
00:19:50,230 --> 00:19:48,480
and so juneteenth is uh

517
00:19:51,590 --> 00:19:50,240
now received a lot of attention but it

518
00:19:53,510 --> 00:19:51,600
was something that wasn't widely

519
00:19:56,070 --> 00:19:53,520
celebrated so one i'm encouraged to know

520
00:19:57,990 --> 00:19:56,080
that it's become something that is

521
00:19:59,669 --> 00:19:58,000
gaining national and and maybe even

522
00:20:01,590 --> 00:19:59,679
global attention

523
00:20:03,750 --> 00:20:01,600
but it also is a reminder that you know

524
00:20:06,630 --> 00:20:03,760
we we have come a long way but we have a

525
00:20:08,870 --> 00:20:06,640
long way to go

526
00:20:11,590 --> 00:20:08,880
the person who started

527
00:20:14,390 --> 00:20:11,600
the journal of negro history and then

528
00:20:16,630 --> 00:20:14,400
started negro history week which is what

529
00:20:17,990 --> 00:20:16,640
we now celebrate as black history month

530
00:20:22,070 --> 00:20:18,000
when he started it he wrote in the

531
00:20:22,950 --> 00:20:22,080
journal he said we we need not celebrate

532
00:20:24,390 --> 00:20:22,960
uh

533
00:20:27,029 --> 00:20:24,400
negro history

534
00:20:30,390 --> 00:20:27,039
we celebrate the negro in history what

535
00:20:33,029 --> 00:20:30,400
we need is history void of racial gender

536
00:20:36,149 --> 00:20:33,039
and religious bias because it's our

537
00:20:37,990 --> 00:20:36,159
story all of our stories and so i'm just

538
00:20:42,549 --> 00:20:38,000
encouraged that we have a chance now to

539
00:20:47,669 --> 00:20:44,789
so victor i'm going to ask you what

540
00:20:50,230 --> 00:20:47,679
strategic steps are needed to offer more

541
00:20:51,590 --> 00:20:50,240
persons of color in more active roles

542
00:20:53,110 --> 00:20:51,600
there's a lot of things we could do and

543
00:20:54,549 --> 00:20:53,120
we don't have time we could take all the

544
00:20:56,549 --> 00:20:54,559
time we have today to talk about just

545
00:20:58,789 --> 00:20:56,559
what we can do but one thing that we

546
00:21:01,669 --> 00:20:58,799
must do is those of us who are already

547
00:21:03,830 --> 00:21:01,679
in this enterprise we have to go and you

548
00:21:05,430 --> 00:21:03,840
know it's not just like encouraging you

549
00:21:07,430 --> 00:21:05,440
you know we i love this saying we say

550
00:21:09,590 --> 00:21:07,440
that we have space for you listen we

551
00:21:11,909 --> 00:21:09,600
need you we need you

552
00:21:13,669 --> 00:21:11,919
when the baby boomer generation retires

553
00:21:15,510 --> 00:21:13,679
the science and technology jobs that are

554
00:21:17,270 --> 00:21:15,520
going to go away if you look at the

555
00:21:18,870 --> 00:21:17,280
university students in undergrad and

556
00:21:19,990 --> 00:21:18,880
graduate school right now we don't have

557
00:21:21,909 --> 00:21:20,000
enough of you

558
00:21:24,070 --> 00:21:21,919
in science and tech to fill those jobs

559
00:21:25,990 --> 00:21:24,080
so we need you it is a national security

560
00:21:27,750 --> 00:21:26,000
imperative for you all to become the

561
00:21:28,950 --> 00:21:27,760
best you you can be so that we can keep

562
00:21:31,669 --> 00:21:28,960
doing what we do

563
00:21:34,310 --> 00:21:31,679
so we have an audience with students and

564
00:21:36,710 --> 00:21:34,320
i know that they want to hear about your

565
00:21:38,149 --> 00:21:36,720
space time so what was your most

566
00:21:39,750 --> 00:21:38,159
challenging

567
00:21:42,310 --> 00:21:39,760
time in space can you tell us that

568
00:21:45,669 --> 00:21:42,320
stephanie

569
00:21:47,750 --> 00:21:45,679
probably my most challenging time was uh

570
00:21:49,750 --> 00:21:47,760
during the sts-120 mission we were

571
00:21:51,990 --> 00:21:49,760
building the international space station

572
00:21:54,070 --> 00:21:52,000
and so we were bringing the node 2

573
00:21:55,029 --> 00:21:54,080
module to the international space

574
00:21:57,960 --> 00:21:55,039
station

575
00:22:01,110 --> 00:21:57,970
solar a deploy starting on my mark

576
00:22:02,470 --> 00:22:01,120
[Music]

577
00:22:04,230 --> 00:22:02,480
and it's a smaller module it's a

578
00:22:06,070 --> 00:22:04,240
connecting module on the end of the us

579
00:22:08,789 --> 00:22:06,080
laboratory but it allows our partner

580
00:22:11,190 --> 00:22:08,799
laboratories to have a connection point

581
00:22:12,870 --> 00:22:11,200
on the space station uh our partners

582
00:22:16,310 --> 00:22:12,880
from europe and japan

583
00:22:17,990 --> 00:22:16,320
and um during that mission we had

584
00:22:20,710 --> 00:22:18,000
installed that module and it also

585
00:22:23,270 --> 00:22:20,720
required reconfiguring the electrical

586
00:22:26,950 --> 00:22:23,280
system so we had to move uh one of the

587
00:22:28,789 --> 00:22:26,960
solar arrays from a central position to

588
00:22:29,830 --> 00:22:28,799
the end of the truss on the space

589
00:22:31,990 --> 00:22:29,840
station

590
00:22:34,149 --> 00:22:32,000
and in order to do that with the robotic

591
00:22:35,750 --> 00:22:34,159
arm basically have to fold up the solar

592
00:22:38,630 --> 00:22:35,760
array move it with the robotic arm and

593
00:22:42,149 --> 00:22:38,640
then extend it re-extend it and during

594
00:22:46,630 --> 00:22:42,159
that extension we had a dynamic event

595
00:22:51,510 --> 00:22:48,630
we

596
00:22:54,149 --> 00:22:51,520
detected some

597
00:22:56,549 --> 00:22:54,159
what appears to be a wraparound or some

598
00:22:59,190 --> 00:22:56,559
damage and we're zoomed in on it on

599
00:23:01,909 --> 00:22:59,200
camera 24 right now

600
00:23:04,390 --> 00:23:01,919
so uh similar to what you may have heard

601
00:23:06,390 --> 00:23:04,400
about apollo 13 where when we're in

602
00:23:08,310 --> 00:23:06,400
space we have limited resources we have

603
00:23:10,230 --> 00:23:08,320
limited

604
00:23:12,549 --> 00:23:10,240
materials we have to fix whatever

605
00:23:14,470 --> 00:23:12,559
happens with what we have on board

606
00:23:16,390 --> 00:23:14,480
because of this

607
00:23:18,630 --> 00:23:16,400
relocation it was hard for spacewalkers

608
00:23:20,230 --> 00:23:18,640
to reach so we had to do something that

609
00:23:23,190 --> 00:23:20,240
we had not practiced before with a

610
00:23:25,190 --> 00:23:23,200
robotic arm and the boom sensor system

611
00:23:26,870 --> 00:23:25,200
that we used at the time for the orbiter

612
00:23:29,350 --> 00:23:26,880
we hooked those two together put space

613
00:23:31,029 --> 00:23:29,360
walker at the end and then sent him out

614
00:23:33,669 --> 00:23:31,039
to the work site with what we had

615
00:23:35,190 --> 00:23:33,679
fabricated on board these cuff links to

616
00:23:38,310 --> 00:23:35,200
tear across to

617
00:23:41,029 --> 00:23:38,320
drape across the hole to give the

618
00:23:41,990 --> 00:23:41,039
panel system additional rigidity so that

619
00:23:44,870 --> 00:23:42,000
we could

620
00:23:47,590 --> 00:23:44,880
continue the extension

621
00:23:48,870 --> 00:23:47,600
so i say all that to say

622
00:23:50,950 --> 00:23:48,880
we work together with our mission

623
00:23:53,110 --> 00:23:50,960
control team to come up with a solution

624
00:23:56,390 --> 00:23:53,120
but we had to use the resources that we

625
00:23:57,909 --> 00:23:56,400
had in hand uh do robotics and space

626
00:24:00,230 --> 00:23:57,919
walking operations that we had not

627
00:24:02,149 --> 00:24:00,240
performed before and rely on each

628
00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:02,159
other's and our skills

629
00:24:04,420 --> 00:24:03,850
the good days work right there

630
00:24:05,620 --> 00:24:04,430
[Applause]

631
00:24:10,549 --> 00:24:05,630
[Music]

632
00:24:14,470 --> 00:24:11,990
i'm gonna go back a little bit because

633
00:24:17,110 --> 00:24:14,480
it ties into the story she just told and

634
00:24:18,549 --> 00:24:17,120
so i go into test pilot school and we as

635
00:24:20,710 --> 00:24:18,559
a student as a class have to go to a

636
00:24:23,510 --> 00:24:20,720
conference and at this conference the

637
00:24:25,430 --> 00:24:23,520
keynote speaker is pam melroy and pam

638
00:24:27,909 --> 00:24:25,440
melroy who is i believe the second

639
00:24:29,830 --> 00:24:27,919
female shuttle commander stands up and

640
00:24:31,830 --> 00:24:29,840
tells that story she tells the story

641
00:24:33,590 --> 00:24:31,840
about we the cufflinks that's the they

642
00:24:35,750 --> 00:24:33,600
use the cufflinks and she tells that

643
00:24:37,750 --> 00:24:35,760
story and that's the day i decided all

644
00:24:39,669 --> 00:24:37,760
right i'm throwing an application in so

645
00:24:41,830 --> 00:24:39,679
i also think it's neat how our stories

646
00:24:43,190 --> 00:24:41,840
do link together like you just said uh

647
00:24:45,830 --> 00:24:43,200
and i think that that's beautiful this

648
00:24:58,230 --> 00:24:45,840
legacy here that can continues to to

649
00:25:03,669 --> 00:25:00,549
i found myself immediately thrown into a

650
00:25:05,590 --> 00:25:03,679
leadership situation uh for which i was

651
00:25:08,630 --> 00:25:05,600
unbelievably well prepared but i didn't

652
00:25:10,710 --> 00:25:08,640
know it because my idea of what i was

653
00:25:13,669 --> 00:25:10,720
going to have to do as a leader as the

654
00:25:16,070 --> 00:25:13,679
leader of nasa the leader of human space

655
00:25:18,470 --> 00:25:16,080
flight the leader of science the leader

656
00:25:20,470 --> 00:25:18,480
of space stuff for the whole world if

657
00:25:22,470 --> 00:25:20,480
you've ever heard of there is something

658
00:25:24,950 --> 00:25:22,480
called the imposter syndrome

659
00:25:25,990 --> 00:25:24,960
it's a feeling that people get i get all

660
00:25:27,029 --> 00:25:26,000
the time

661
00:25:29,830 --> 00:25:27,039
that

662
00:25:32,310 --> 00:25:29,840
you don't belong where you are um

663
00:25:34,390 --> 00:25:32,320
and it's really important for you to

664
00:25:36,310 --> 00:25:34,400
recognize that you that you're suffering

665
00:25:38,549 --> 00:25:36,320
from the imposter syndrome

666
00:25:40,149 --> 00:25:38,559
because it is a syndrome it's not real

667
00:25:42,310 --> 00:25:40,159
you you do belong

668
00:25:44,230 --> 00:25:42,320
where you are but but you have had

669
00:25:45,269 --> 00:25:44,240
people put doubts in your mind for so

670
00:25:47,190 --> 00:25:45,279
long

671
00:25:49,269 --> 00:25:47,200
and i had grown up in the segregated

672
00:25:52,070 --> 00:25:49,279
south where you know i was taught to

673
00:25:53,909 --> 00:25:52,080
believe that that that things like being

674
00:25:55,990 --> 00:25:53,919
the nasa administrator or like being the

675
00:25:57,669 --> 00:25:56,000
president of the united states were not

676
00:25:59,750 --> 00:25:57,679
things to which i should aspire that's

677
00:26:01,430 --> 00:25:59,760
not what black people did where i

678
00:26:03,909 --> 00:26:01,440
thought i didn't belong it turned out

679
00:26:05,430 --> 00:26:03,919
that not only did i belong but but i i

680
00:26:09,930 --> 00:26:05,440
tended to

681
00:26:14,070 --> 00:26:12,070
[Music]

682
00:26:16,390 --> 00:26:14,080
i mean if you're really passionate about

683
00:26:18,149 --> 00:26:16,400
doing something you what you do you end

684
00:26:19,350 --> 00:26:18,159
up finding out who who does it really

685
00:26:22,149 --> 00:26:19,360
really well

686
00:26:23,430 --> 00:26:22,159
uh you know uh and because i had

687
00:26:24,390 --> 00:26:23,440
difficulty

688
00:26:26,470 --> 00:26:24,400
because there were things a lot of

689
00:26:28,870 --> 00:26:26,480
things i didn't know about art

690
00:26:31,830 --> 00:26:28,880
but i had to think my way through it a

691
00:26:34,630 --> 00:26:31,840
tragic story the guy called me aside and

692
00:26:36,930 --> 00:26:34,640
asked me uh uh don't bring any more of

693
00:26:38,310 --> 00:26:36,940
those things here

694
00:26:40,789 --> 00:26:38,320
[Music]

695
00:26:42,230 --> 00:26:40,799
so now i had to be creative

696
00:26:44,390 --> 00:26:42,240
oh really

697
00:26:46,950 --> 00:26:44,400
so i went straight to the bank and i

698
00:26:49,350 --> 00:26:46,960
borrowed 60 000

699
00:26:51,110 --> 00:26:49,360
and built a boundary

700
00:26:53,430 --> 00:26:51,120
and i didn't know how

701
00:26:55,750 --> 00:26:53,440
to build a foundry

702
00:26:57,430 --> 00:26:55,760
so i went to the people who make foundry

703
00:26:59,669 --> 00:26:57,440
equipment

704
00:27:01,590 --> 00:26:59,679
and then they when i got to the molds i

705
00:27:03,750 --> 00:27:01,600
didn't know how to make a mold

706
00:27:04,950 --> 00:27:03,760
so i went to the people who sold more

707
00:27:07,830 --> 00:27:04,960
material

708
00:27:10,789 --> 00:27:07,840
because i i have to do it myself because

709
00:27:12,710 --> 00:27:10,799
the larger community won't do it for me

710
00:27:13,990 --> 00:27:12,720
so i've done that throughout my entire

711
00:27:16,390 --> 00:27:14,000
art career

712
00:27:22,950 --> 00:27:16,400
you know they close a door in my face

713
00:27:27,430 --> 00:27:25,669
i am inspired i am very hopeful that in

714
00:27:29,350 --> 00:27:27,440
the future there will be

715
00:27:31,750 --> 00:27:29,360
more women of color in space to the

716
00:27:33,750 --> 00:27:31,760
point where we cannot

717
00:27:34,870 --> 00:27:33,760
name the number right the the numbers

718
00:27:36,710 --> 00:27:34,880
are relevant

719
00:27:39,269 --> 00:27:36,720
as i said my mother was a librarian so i

720
00:27:42,070 --> 00:27:39,279
grew up loving books and poetry and

721
00:27:45,110 --> 00:27:42,080
stuff like that and my favorite poet is

722
00:27:48,389 --> 00:27:45,120
is a woman by the name of nikki giovanni

723
00:27:50,789 --> 00:27:48,399
she she wrote a poem many years ago

724
00:27:52,230 --> 00:27:50,799
and it's called quilting the black-eyed

725
00:27:55,190 --> 00:27:52,240
pea

726
00:27:56,389 --> 00:27:55,200
we are going to mars and this was before

727
00:27:58,389 --> 00:27:56,399
we started

728
00:28:00,310 --> 00:27:58,399
talking about taking trips to mars

729
00:28:01,830 --> 00:28:00,320
because in it she tells

730
00:28:04,470 --> 00:28:01,840
you know why black people why people

731
00:28:06,310 --> 00:28:04,480
like me are ideally suited to lead the

732
00:28:08,710 --> 00:28:06,320
path to mars

733
00:28:11,269 --> 00:28:08,720
quilting the black eyed pea

734
00:28:16,789 --> 00:28:11,279
we're going to mars

735
00:28:19,590 --> 00:28:16,799
marco polo rocketed to china

736
00:28:22,149 --> 00:28:19,600
for the same reason columbus trimmed his

737
00:28:24,950 --> 00:28:22,159
sails on the dream of spices

738
00:28:26,870 --> 00:28:24,960
for the very same reason shackleton was

739
00:28:29,350 --> 00:28:26,880
enchanted with penguins

740
00:28:32,070 --> 00:28:29,360
for the reason we fall in love

741
00:28:33,750 --> 00:28:32,080
it's the only adventure

742
00:28:35,590 --> 00:28:33,760
and that's the way the trip to mars is

743
00:28:37,909 --> 00:28:35,600
going to be we're going to be holed up

744
00:28:39,110 --> 00:28:37,919
in our spaceship and the first few days

745
00:28:40,470 --> 00:28:39,120
we're going to be able to look back at

746
00:28:41,669 --> 00:28:40,480
our planet earth and we'll see this

747
00:28:43,430 --> 00:28:41,679
little blue dot

748
00:28:45,590 --> 00:28:43,440
and and after a couple of weeks that

749
00:28:47,110 --> 00:28:45,600
little blue dot's gonna almost disappear

750
00:28:49,110 --> 00:28:47,120
and there'll come a time somewhere in

751
00:28:50,230 --> 00:28:49,120
that eight months their journey when it

752
00:28:52,149 --> 00:28:50,240
doesn't make any difference which

753
00:28:53,430 --> 00:28:52,159
direction you look you're not going to

754
00:28:54,549 --> 00:28:53,440
know where you're going and you're not

755
00:28:56,149 --> 00:28:54,559
going to know where you came from

756
00:29:03,669 --> 00:28:56,159
because it's all going to look just kind

757
00:29:07,990 --> 00:29:06,470
and also now joining us is dr bobby

758
00:29:13,430 --> 00:29:08,000
satcher

759
00:29:16,389 --> 00:29:13,440
and he has logged over 259 hours in

760
00:29:19,029 --> 00:29:16,399
space and is currently a doctor in

761
00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:19,039
surgical oncology at md anderson so

762
00:29:26,549 --> 00:29:21,410
thank you for joining

763
00:29:33,029 --> 00:29:29,990
well my story is of course i i grew up

764
00:29:34,950 --> 00:29:33,039
in hampton virginia and um there was

765
00:29:35,830 --> 00:29:34,960
langley that was there

766
00:29:39,350 --> 00:29:35,840
and

767
00:29:41,909 --> 00:29:39,360
uh was inspired you know to want to try

768
00:29:42,870 --> 00:29:41,919
to be an astronaut pretty early on from

769
00:29:45,430 --> 00:29:42,880
watching

770
00:29:47,830 --> 00:29:45,440
apollo missions and of course didn't see

771
00:29:51,830 --> 00:29:47,840
anybody that looked like myself during

772
00:29:54,710 --> 00:29:51,840
that um it wasn't until the shuttle era

773
00:29:56,710 --> 00:29:54,720
and you know some of my

774
00:29:59,110 --> 00:29:56,720
co-astronauts here that

775
00:30:03,350 --> 00:29:59,120
sort of blazed that trail when i was in

776
00:30:07,110 --> 00:30:05,430
you know thought that i could do it

777
00:30:09,590 --> 00:30:07,120
had the chance

778
00:30:11,830 --> 00:30:09,600
to meet ron mcnair he also

779
00:30:14,870 --> 00:30:11,840
uh you know went to mit for his graduate

780
00:30:17,110 --> 00:30:14,880
studies and he was there giving a talk

781
00:30:18,549 --> 00:30:17,120
and so that was the first time that i

782
00:30:20,789 --> 00:30:18,559
sort of said to myself i was an

783
00:30:22,549 --> 00:30:20,799
undergraduate at mit but first time i

784
00:30:24,389 --> 00:30:22,559
sort of said yeah you know maybe that's

785
00:30:27,029 --> 00:30:24,399
something i could do so that was a very

786
00:30:28,789 --> 00:30:27,039
inspirational moment

787
00:30:30,710 --> 00:30:28,799
we did talk about you know the fact that

788
00:30:33,510 --> 00:30:30,720
representation matters

789
00:30:37,990 --> 00:30:33,520
and uh so two of our

790
00:30:40,389 --> 00:30:38,000
space heroes that actually sacrifice

791
00:30:42,630 --> 00:30:40,399
on behalf of all of us

792
00:30:44,789 --> 00:30:42,640
their spouses are here today and i want

793
00:30:47,430 --> 00:30:44,799
to recognize them

794
00:30:51,860 --> 00:30:47,440
i want to recognize cheryl mcnair and i

795
00:30:57,830 --> 00:30:55,350
[Applause]

796
00:31:03,990 --> 00:30:57,840
of mike anderson so thank you both for

797
00:31:06,710 --> 00:31:05,509
jeanette want to bring you into the

798
00:31:07,990 --> 00:31:06,720
conversation

799
00:31:10,389 --> 00:31:08,000
all right well

800
00:31:12,070 --> 00:31:10,399
my um journey is very similar to

801
00:31:14,149 --> 00:31:12,080
everyone's here but there's always these

802
00:31:16,950 --> 00:31:14,159
different uh nuances you know we were

803
00:31:18,230 --> 00:31:16,960
talking earlier about you know

804
00:31:19,990 --> 00:31:18,240
you're going to have things to get

805
00:31:22,389 --> 00:31:20,000
through and i think all of us had

806
00:31:24,630 --> 00:31:22,399
similar experiences and you know you

807
00:31:27,269 --> 00:31:24,640
grew up in segregated segregated

808
00:31:29,750 --> 00:31:27,279
areas and things happen but i always

809
00:31:31,190 --> 00:31:29,760
focus on how do you handle those things

810
00:31:33,509 --> 00:31:31,200
when they do occur because they're going

811
00:31:35,590 --> 00:31:33,519
to occur you know there's a verse in the

812
00:31:36,549 --> 00:31:35,600
bible that always says that you know in

813
00:31:39,509 --> 00:31:36,559
this world you're going to have

814
00:31:41,750 --> 00:31:39,519
tribulation but take heart you've over

815
00:31:44,149 --> 00:31:41,760
i've overcome the world and so that just

816
00:31:46,549 --> 00:31:44,159
tells me that troubles are going to come

817
00:31:49,029 --> 00:31:46,559
and so how do you handle those and you

818
00:31:51,830 --> 00:31:49,039
know having a sense of self and knowing

819
00:31:53,750 --> 00:31:51,840
who you are and what you're capable of

820
00:31:56,149 --> 00:31:53,760
and not letting people feed negative

821
00:31:58,710 --> 00:31:56,159
energy into your life is hugely

822
00:32:01,269 --> 00:31:58,720
important but also being a proactive

823
00:32:03,350 --> 00:32:01,279
person rather than being reactive has

824
00:32:06,070 --> 00:32:03,360
been things that i've stood on for my

825
00:32:07,990 --> 00:32:06,080
entire career i'm like a black female

826
00:32:09,590 --> 00:32:08,000
and aerospace engineer

827
00:32:11,909 --> 00:32:09,600
there was no one that looked like me in

828
00:32:14,870 --> 00:32:11,919
aerospace engineering but that never

829
00:32:17,110 --> 00:32:14,880
even dawned on me until i left there

830
00:32:18,950 --> 00:32:17,120
these are the kind of things that

831
00:32:20,870 --> 00:32:18,960
i always love to tell students you know

832
00:32:23,269 --> 00:32:20,880
there's going to be times when you have

833
00:32:24,950 --> 00:32:23,279
to figure out who you are and it's in

834
00:32:26,950 --> 00:32:24,960
those tough times

835
00:32:30,470 --> 00:32:26,960
that you actually really realize what

836
00:32:33,909 --> 00:32:32,470
i really appreciate that because a lot

837
00:32:35,590 --> 00:32:33,919
of times

838
00:32:38,630 --> 00:32:35,600
as a person you get stuck in this place

839
00:32:39,830 --> 00:32:38,640
of fear to do something

840
00:32:41,190 --> 00:32:39,840
i don't know if i'm going to fit into

841
00:32:42,470 --> 00:32:41,200
this space i don't know if i should be

842
00:32:44,149 --> 00:32:42,480
here i don't know what i should be doing

843
00:32:46,310 --> 00:32:44,159
or how i should be doing it

844
00:32:48,070 --> 00:32:46,320
and you don't do it

845
00:32:49,830 --> 00:32:48,080
you just sit you just sit

846
00:32:50,950 --> 00:32:49,840
and it's it's easy to do that when you

847
00:32:53,110 --> 00:32:50,960
don't have people around you you're not

848
00:32:54,789 --> 00:32:53,120
meeting people who are doing things i

849
00:32:56,389 --> 00:32:54,799
think you hit the nail on the head right

850
00:32:58,470 --> 00:32:56,399
there it's all about supporting one

851
00:32:59,990 --> 00:32:58,480
another you know there's enough threats

852
00:33:01,990 --> 00:33:00,000
outside of the tent

853
00:33:04,149 --> 00:33:02,000
to fill a whole day

854
00:33:06,389 --> 00:33:04,159
so we have to support each other all the

855
00:33:08,789 --> 00:33:06,399
time if we do that

856
00:33:11,430 --> 00:33:08,799
i don't want to stop them

857
00:33:12,310 --> 00:33:11,440
like i often limited myself just because

858
00:33:13,750 --> 00:33:12,320
um

859
00:33:15,350 --> 00:33:13,760
basically like my surroundings i just

860
00:33:17,190 --> 00:33:15,360
thought like the world like i thought

861
00:33:19,029 --> 00:33:17,200
this was my world

862
00:33:20,630 --> 00:33:19,039
and like one thing i'm learning too is

863
00:33:21,669 --> 00:33:20,640
all like you know a lot of stuff may

864
00:33:23,269 --> 00:33:21,679
come up

865
00:33:25,269 --> 00:33:23,279
and you may be in a situation where you

866
00:33:27,990 --> 00:33:25,279
may not know where you are

867
00:33:30,549 --> 00:33:28,000
or you can't find yourself but

868
00:33:33,110 --> 00:33:30,559
we can't give up like we just can't i

869
00:33:34,070 --> 00:33:33,120
mean i always knew i wanted to do more

870
00:33:36,149 --> 00:33:34,080
than

871
00:33:40,149 --> 00:33:36,159
just be there

872
00:33:41,110 --> 00:33:40,159
watching cars go by stop

873
00:33:43,669 --> 00:33:41,120
and

874
00:33:46,789 --> 00:33:43,679
you know i didn't i didn't allow that to

875
00:33:48,710 --> 00:33:46,799
you know define my imagination in terms

876
00:33:49,990 --> 00:33:48,720
of i mean i sit there staring up at the

877
00:33:51,669 --> 00:33:50,000
sky

878
00:33:52,950 --> 00:33:51,679
and imagining what it would be like to

879
00:33:54,070 --> 00:33:52,960
go there

880
00:33:55,590 --> 00:33:54,080
so

881
00:33:58,789 --> 00:33:55,600
i don't think i've ever said that before

882
00:34:00,710 --> 00:33:58,799
but i you know i actually would do that

883
00:34:03,029 --> 00:34:00,720
okay so i told my mom

884
00:34:05,350 --> 00:34:03,039
uh that i was uh i was gonna do this i'm

885
00:34:06,630 --> 00:34:05,360
gonna show her that uh my notebook cuz

886
00:34:08,310 --> 00:34:06,640
like that's actually my notebook that i

887
00:34:10,869 --> 00:34:08,320
still use for class right now i'm gonna

888
00:34:12,069 --> 00:34:10,879
use this as like my my motivation to

889
00:34:16,230 --> 00:34:12,079
really

890
00:34:18,310 --> 00:34:16,240
means the world to me like this is like

891
00:34:20,230 --> 00:34:18,320
easily one of my most strict

892
00:34:21,990 --> 00:34:20,240
items right now there's not always going

893
00:34:23,430 --> 00:34:22,000
to be somebody there to cheer you on and

894
00:34:24,710 --> 00:34:23,440
as much as i would love to i would love

895
00:34:25,909 --> 00:34:24,720
to be that person you know break out

896
00:34:28,470 --> 00:34:25,919
your cell phone i'll i'll make a

897
00:34:30,550 --> 00:34:28,480
ringtone for you right now

898
00:34:31,829 --> 00:34:30,560
but but that's not reality and you're

899
00:34:33,669 --> 00:34:31,839
going to have to build something that

900
00:34:34,950 --> 00:34:33,679
works for you so one that's one of the

901
00:34:36,230 --> 00:34:34,960
important parts of learning and getting

902
00:34:38,310 --> 00:34:36,240
around groups of people like this that

903
00:34:40,389 --> 00:34:38,320
are diverse you learn and you you add

904
00:34:42,629 --> 00:34:40,399
another facet you put another tool in

905
00:34:44,950 --> 00:34:42,639
your toolbox i always go back to like

906
00:34:46,629 --> 00:34:44,960
how my mother is very religious for a

907
00:34:49,030 --> 00:34:46,639
christian household but she always says

908
00:34:51,829 --> 00:34:49,040
walk face walk by faith and not by sight

909
00:34:53,829 --> 00:34:51,839
baby so it's just it's something that i

910
00:34:55,909 --> 00:34:53,839
feel like the black community we have a

911
00:34:58,069 --> 00:34:55,919
hard time with because it's not only

912
00:35:00,470 --> 00:34:58,079
what we see but it's what we're told

913
00:35:02,870 --> 00:35:00,480
from other people so i feel like

914
00:35:04,550 --> 00:35:02,880
all of us can do it i practice it try to

915
00:35:06,470 --> 00:35:04,560
every day because it's just so hard when

916
00:35:07,910 --> 00:35:06,480
the world's like telling you you can't

917
00:35:10,069 --> 00:35:07,920
you can't you can't or that's impossible

918
00:35:12,150 --> 00:35:10,079
or are you sure you can do that but it's

919
00:35:16,910 --> 00:35:12,160
just like i'm not walking by what i see

920
00:35:22,950 --> 00:35:19,829
[Music]

921
00:35:25,510 --> 00:35:22,960
so i want to ask one of our astronauts

922
00:35:28,470 --> 00:35:25,520
to talk about his time of doing a

923
00:35:30,230 --> 00:35:28,480
spacewalk so the record holder for a

924
00:35:32,390 --> 00:35:30,240
single space flight mission of

925
00:35:35,109 --> 00:35:32,400
spacewalks is robert kirby can you tell

926
00:35:37,670 --> 00:35:35,119
us about what it's like hello beamer oh

927
00:35:39,750 --> 00:35:37,680
my gosh it's an amazing experience and

928
00:35:40,950 --> 00:35:39,760
bernard could tell you too you know so

929
00:35:43,030 --> 00:35:40,960
when i first

930
00:35:46,550 --> 00:35:43,040
came to the office shortly after i came

931
00:35:48,950 --> 00:35:46,560
into the office bernard did his first so

932
00:35:51,109 --> 00:35:48,960
now i blaze the trail and i tell people

933
00:35:52,870 --> 00:35:51,119
all the time that's the best way to go

934
00:35:56,870 --> 00:35:52,880
you have someone else to blaze the trail

935
00:35:59,990 --> 00:35:58,470
i'm very thankful for that and then

936
00:36:00,630 --> 00:36:00,000
after him winston

937
00:36:04,630 --> 00:36:00,640
and

938
00:36:06,870 --> 00:36:04,640
but we always had this thing you know

939
00:36:08,630 --> 00:36:06,880
you you train like you fly you fly like

940
00:36:10,310 --> 00:36:08,640
you train and then the first thing they

941
00:36:11,750 --> 00:36:10,320
tell you is but when you go on a

942
00:36:13,190 --> 00:36:11,760
spacewalk

943
00:36:14,310 --> 00:36:13,200
something's going to be different than

944
00:36:16,310 --> 00:36:14,320
you planned

945
00:36:17,670 --> 00:36:16,320
and it is so

946
00:36:20,470 --> 00:36:17,680
true

947
00:36:22,870 --> 00:36:20,480
my very first spacewalk so i'm out there

948
00:36:26,790 --> 00:36:22,880
doing my thing trying to follow the

949
00:36:27,750 --> 00:36:26,800
timeline and all of a sudden i am

950
00:36:46,550 --> 00:36:27,760
i

951
00:36:48,630 --> 00:36:46,560
emergency actually your heart rate went

952
00:36:51,030 --> 00:36:48,640
down

953
00:36:53,190 --> 00:36:51,040
and it's because you know

954
00:36:55,270 --> 00:36:53,200
the hard work's really done before you

955
00:36:57,829 --> 00:36:55,280
go on the space walk when you're getting

956
00:36:59,270 --> 00:36:57,839
ready for it so when things happen like

957
00:37:01,589 --> 00:36:59,280
that and your

958
00:37:04,790 --> 00:37:01,599
you know front of your suit has an inch

959
00:37:06,870 --> 00:37:04,800
or two of ammonia ice on it and later on

960
00:37:09,270 --> 00:37:06,880
you realize that you cannot go back in

961
00:37:12,630 --> 00:37:09,280
the spacecraft with this so you hope

962
00:37:13,910 --> 00:37:12,640
that someone has a plan to get it off

963
00:37:15,910 --> 00:37:13,920
and they did

964
00:37:18,470 --> 00:37:15,920
yeah and and um

965
00:37:21,430 --> 00:37:18,480
you know but but but the lesson learned

966
00:37:23,670 --> 00:37:21,440
there is that you know it's not actually

967
00:37:25,349 --> 00:37:23,680
the act of the event

968
00:37:27,670 --> 00:37:25,359
that is hard

969
00:37:28,870 --> 00:37:27,680
it's getting ready further

970
00:37:30,630 --> 00:37:28,880
and that's something i learned from

971
00:37:33,589 --> 00:37:30,640
bernard and other people who told me

972
00:37:35,589 --> 00:37:33,599
look you have to work hard now

973
00:37:36,950 --> 00:37:35,599
so that the actual space flight in the

974
00:37:38,390 --> 00:37:36,960
space walk

975
00:37:41,510 --> 00:37:38,400
is easy

976
00:37:45,030 --> 00:37:41,520
i mean physically it was not a big deal

977
00:37:46,230 --> 00:37:45,040
mentally i was exhausted afterwards

978
00:37:53,829 --> 00:37:46,240
but

979
00:37:58,790 --> 00:37:55,990
so we're going to open it up

980
00:38:00,470 --> 00:37:58,800
to our students

981
00:38:01,910 --> 00:38:00,480
hi

982
00:38:03,910 --> 00:38:01,920
hello

983
00:38:06,950 --> 00:38:03,920
what is your work like when you're not

984
00:38:08,550 --> 00:38:06,960
in space or training for a mission

985
00:38:10,310 --> 00:38:08,560
there's no average day some days i have

986
00:38:12,390 --> 00:38:10,320
a lot of meetings but you know some days

987
00:38:14,230 --> 00:38:12,400
i get to go and scuba dive or full

988
00:38:16,310 --> 00:38:14,240
pressure dive at the

989
00:38:17,829 --> 00:38:16,320
the giant pool that we have six million

990
00:38:20,150 --> 00:38:17,839
gallons of water where we train for

991
00:38:22,150 --> 00:38:20,160
spacewalks or right on the other side of

992
00:38:24,390 --> 00:38:22,160
that facility there's an airport and we

993
00:38:27,910 --> 00:38:24,400
go fly our t-38 high performance

994
00:38:31,510 --> 00:38:29,589
one of the biggest things that we have

995
00:38:34,150 --> 00:38:31,520
to do is function

996
00:38:36,870 --> 00:38:34,160
very well as a team we go on expeditions

997
00:38:39,670 --> 00:38:36,880
where we we want to get people to push

998
00:38:41,589 --> 00:38:39,680
their push everyone's limits to see how

999
00:38:44,150 --> 00:38:41,599
you act when you're in this

1000
00:38:46,950 --> 00:38:44,160
heightened state of awareness we work

1001
00:38:48,710 --> 00:38:46,960
hard on leadership and teamwork and so

1002
00:38:52,310 --> 00:38:48,720
it involves really just spending time

1003
00:38:56,069 --> 00:38:54,710
my question today for you all is do you

1004
00:39:01,670 --> 00:38:56,079
think everyone should have the

1005
00:39:08,950 --> 00:39:04,630
that is a very good question

1006
00:39:13,270 --> 00:39:10,710
let me fill in the blank so

1007
00:39:14,950 --> 00:39:13,280
so uh i think everybody should have the

1008
00:39:16,950 --> 00:39:14,960
opportunity to go into space but

1009
00:39:19,190 --> 00:39:16,960
currently right now

1010
00:39:22,230 --> 00:39:19,200
it's not available for everybody to go

1011
00:39:23,910 --> 00:39:22,240
but we have now set the stage for anyone

1012
00:39:24,950 --> 00:39:23,920
that wants to go into space to go into

1013
00:39:27,910 --> 00:39:24,960
space

1014
00:39:30,230 --> 00:39:27,920
we now have private interests in what's

1015
00:39:31,910 --> 00:39:30,240
happening in in low earth orbit

1016
00:39:34,470 --> 00:39:31,920
particularly in the international space

1017
00:39:35,910 --> 00:39:34,480
station has opened up all sorts of

1018
00:39:38,310 --> 00:39:35,920
possibilities

1019
00:39:39,990 --> 00:39:38,320
so all of you in this room this i'm just

1020
00:39:43,510 --> 00:39:40,000
looking at your age group

1021
00:39:44,630 --> 00:39:43,520
you have been born in a

1022
00:39:45,589 --> 00:39:44,640
world

1023
00:39:51,109 --> 00:39:45,599
where

1024
00:39:53,109 --> 00:39:51,119
7.

1025
00:39:55,510 --> 00:39:53,119
i grew up and some of us here that are

1026
00:39:56,790 --> 00:39:55,520
on the older side grew up that was not

1027
00:40:00,470 --> 00:39:56,800
the case

1028
00:40:03,589 --> 00:40:00,480
so the possibilities are really endless

1029
00:40:04,630 --> 00:40:03,599
how many of you like to go to space

1030
00:40:06,390 --> 00:40:04,640
i love it

1031
00:40:10,180 --> 00:40:06,400
awesome excellent

1032
00:40:14,470 --> 00:40:10,190
do it you can do it

1033
00:40:17,270 --> 00:40:14,480
[Applause]

1034
00:40:19,349 --> 00:40:17,280
in space you're away from family and in

1035
00:40:21,910 --> 00:40:19,359
a new environment how are you physically

1036
00:40:24,790 --> 00:40:21,920
and emotionally affected how do you deal

1037
00:40:26,309 --> 00:40:24,800
with being homesick

1038
00:40:28,470 --> 00:40:26,319
i haven't even been back on earth for a

1039
00:40:30,069 --> 00:40:28,480
year yet and that's just a sentence that

1040
00:40:31,750 --> 00:40:30,079
starts with i haven't been back on earth

1041
00:40:34,309 --> 00:40:31,760
it's pretty cool and

1042
00:40:36,150 --> 00:40:34,319
the the isolation is one piece i live in

1043
00:40:38,790 --> 00:40:36,160
this pressurized

1044
00:40:40,150 --> 00:40:38,800
can a big can in space because right on

1045
00:40:42,069 --> 00:40:40,160
the outside it's you know really hot or

1046
00:40:44,550 --> 00:40:42,079
really cold and there's no air right so

1047
00:40:47,030 --> 00:40:44,560
um the fact that you're isolated doesn't

1048
00:40:49,589 --> 00:40:47,040
mean that you have to be disconnected

1049
00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:49,599
and so the connection to your family is

1050
00:40:54,870 --> 00:40:52,810
something nasa takes very seriously

1051
00:40:57,750 --> 00:40:54,880
[Music]

1052
00:41:02,230 --> 00:40:57,760
the video just doesn't do it justice

1053
00:41:07,670 --> 00:41:04,470
one of the most amazing things about his

1054
00:41:09,750 --> 00:41:07,680
mission was that stephanie organized

1055
00:41:11,750 --> 00:41:09,760
a zoom call for us

1056
00:41:14,069 --> 00:41:11,760
all of the black astronauts

1057
00:41:15,990 --> 00:41:14,079
to talk to victor that list while he

1058
00:41:18,950 --> 00:41:16,000
gave us a tour

1059
00:41:19,750 --> 00:41:18,960
through the space station on an ipad

1060
00:41:21,990 --> 00:41:19,760
and

1061
00:41:23,589 --> 00:41:22,000
he was in space at the same time that

1062
00:41:26,230 --> 00:41:23,599
you know we were coming with the

1063
00:41:27,589 --> 00:41:26,240
deliberations of george floyd and we had

1064
00:41:29,510 --> 00:41:27,599
all these things that we were thinking

1065
00:41:31,829 --> 00:41:29,520
about down here on the planet with covet

1066
00:41:34,710 --> 00:41:31,839
and but having this connection with our

1067
00:41:36,470 --> 00:41:34,720
brothers and family and people helped us

1068
00:41:38,309 --> 00:41:36,480
all get through things

1069
00:41:41,670 --> 00:41:38,319
what um boundaries did you have to

1070
00:41:43,990 --> 00:41:41,680
overcome becoming an astronaut and

1071
00:41:45,589 --> 00:41:44,000
what did you ever struggle in school at

1072
00:41:49,510 --> 00:41:45,599
any moment

1073
00:41:52,230 --> 00:41:49,520
i lost my hearing in a training accident

1074
00:41:53,750 --> 00:41:52,240
i was completely deaf and the

1075
00:41:55,349 --> 00:41:53,760
doctors told me that i would never find

1076
00:41:56,150 --> 00:41:55,359
space

1077
00:41:57,430 --> 00:41:56,160
and

1078
00:41:59,349 --> 00:41:57,440
i was

1079
00:42:00,790 --> 00:41:59,359
my hearing started to slowly come back

1080
00:42:03,109 --> 00:42:00,800
in my right ear

1081
00:42:04,950 --> 00:42:03,119
but only in the speaking frequencies

1082
00:42:06,950 --> 00:42:04,960
and they said you know you're medically

1083
00:42:08,870 --> 00:42:06,960
disqualified you won't fly

1084
00:42:10,550 --> 00:42:08,880
but i've always believed that if you

1085
00:42:12,630 --> 00:42:10,560
keep trying like the little injury they

1086
00:42:14,710 --> 00:42:12,640
could i think i can i think i can

1087
00:42:17,190 --> 00:42:14,720
your mind has a way i'm not a

1088
00:42:18,470 --> 00:42:17,200
neuroscientist with a mind your mind has

1089
00:42:19,270 --> 00:42:18,480
a way

1090
00:42:22,630 --> 00:42:19,280
of

1091
00:42:23,910 --> 00:42:22,640
fixing your body you know if you believe

1092
00:42:25,430 --> 00:42:23,920
in it enough

1093
00:42:28,550 --> 00:42:25,440
you know you need doctors you need other

1094
00:42:31,190 --> 00:42:28,560
people but you have a great stake in

1095
00:42:32,069 --> 00:42:31,200
helping repair yourself by the way that

1096
00:42:40,150 --> 00:42:32,079
you

1097
00:42:44,710 --> 00:42:42,710
bernard i thought it would be good for

1098
00:42:47,190 --> 00:42:44,720
you to talk about you know having a

1099
00:42:49,270 --> 00:42:47,200
vision and thinking about where do you

1100
00:42:52,950 --> 00:42:49,280
want to go in life so when i did my

1101
00:42:54,309 --> 00:42:52,960
space walk i guess it was many years ago

1102
00:42:55,589 --> 00:42:54,319
it was the first time that an

1103
00:42:57,510 --> 00:42:55,599
african-american

1104
00:42:58,550 --> 00:42:57,520
had done a spacewalk it had been 30

1105
00:43:00,790 --> 00:42:58,560
years

1106
00:43:03,510 --> 00:43:00,800
since the first time that

1107
00:43:05,750 --> 00:43:03,520
we had done a space walk

1108
00:43:08,069 --> 00:43:05,760
dr harris tomorrow you're to become the

1109
00:43:10,630 --> 00:43:08,079
first african american to to walk in

1110
00:43:13,750 --> 00:43:10,640
space how significant a first for that

1111
00:43:16,069 --> 00:43:13,760
is you for for you is that personally

1112
00:43:17,990 --> 00:43:16,079
well brian you know uh for me it really

1113
00:43:20,309 --> 00:43:18,000
is a personal achievement a great

1114
00:43:21,829 --> 00:43:20,319
personal achievement one that i look for

1115
00:43:23,349 --> 00:43:21,839
for a long time

1116
00:43:25,270 --> 00:43:23,359
and i think it's kind of ironic that

1117
00:43:27,190 --> 00:43:25,280
during this month uh this is black

1118
00:43:28,630 --> 00:43:27,200
history month that we're celebrating the

1119
00:43:30,390 --> 00:43:28,640
contributions that african americans

1120
00:43:33,349 --> 00:43:30,400
have made to this country i have an

1121
00:43:36,390 --> 00:43:33,359
opportunity to walk outside walk outside

1122
00:43:38,309 --> 00:43:36,400
in space that is an eba

1123
00:43:41,109 --> 00:43:38,319
it really i get emotional when i think

1124
00:43:43,430 --> 00:43:41,119
about it and i'd like to dedicate this

1125
00:43:46,150 --> 00:43:43,440
spacewalk my first spacewalk as an

1126
00:43:48,150 --> 00:43:46,160
african-american and as uh as an

1127
00:43:54,630 --> 00:43:48,160
african-american

1128
00:43:58,230 --> 00:43:56,790
and so of course i got the commencement

1129
00:44:00,550 --> 00:43:58,240
call from the president that was

1130
00:44:02,710 --> 00:44:00,560
president clinton and he said

1131
00:44:04,390 --> 00:44:02,720
you know dr harris congratulate i want

1132
00:44:05,910 --> 00:44:04,400
to congratulate you on you know being

1133
00:44:06,950 --> 00:44:05,920
the first african-american to walk in

1134
00:44:09,589 --> 00:44:06,960
space

1135
00:44:11,109 --> 00:44:09,599
and i remember preparing knowing that he

1136
00:44:12,870 --> 00:44:11,119
was going to call and say what the hell

1137
00:44:14,069 --> 00:44:12,880
am i going to say to the president

1138
00:44:15,510 --> 00:44:14,079
because everybody's going to hear

1139
00:44:17,910 --> 00:44:15,520
mission control and the rest of the

1140
00:44:19,510 --> 00:44:17,920
world and so i said these words that

1141
00:44:21,829 --> 00:44:19,520
you've probably heard many times before

1142
00:44:23,430 --> 00:44:21,839
i said mr president thank you for the

1143
00:44:25,670 --> 00:44:23,440
honor of your call

1144
00:44:27,829 --> 00:44:25,680
uh but i have to tell you that i may be

1145
00:44:31,109 --> 00:44:27,839
the first but it will not be the last

1146
00:44:33,190 --> 00:44:31,119
amen yeah and listening to

1147
00:44:36,710 --> 00:44:33,200
bob kirby

1148
00:44:38,630 --> 00:44:36,720
now holding the record that was true so

1149
00:44:41,589 --> 00:44:38,640
what can i say to you that

1150
00:44:44,309 --> 00:44:41,599
will inspire you and and maybe uh this

1151
00:44:45,270 --> 00:44:44,319
statement i believe that there are

1152
00:44:47,910 --> 00:44:45,280
um

1153
00:44:50,710 --> 00:44:47,920
three things that i know about everybody

1154
00:44:52,630 --> 00:44:50,720
in this room three things

1155
00:44:54,550 --> 00:44:52,640
and if you here to these three things

1156
00:44:58,150 --> 00:44:54,560
you can accomplish whatever you want to

1157
00:45:00,630 --> 00:44:58,160
do in life those things three things

1158
00:45:03,030 --> 00:45:00,640
make it possible for you to do anything

1159
00:45:04,470 --> 00:45:03,040
the first thing that i believe

1160
00:45:07,109 --> 00:45:04,480
and believe in you

1161
00:45:08,630 --> 00:45:07,119
is that i believe that everyone is born

1162
00:45:10,790 --> 00:45:08,640
multi-potential

1163
00:45:13,589 --> 00:45:10,800
with the ability to do anything that

1164
00:45:15,510 --> 00:45:13,599
they want to do in life anything

1165
00:45:17,750 --> 00:45:15,520
you have to figure out what that is you

1166
00:45:19,270 --> 00:45:17,760
have to discover that very early as as

1167
00:45:21,750 --> 00:45:19,280
we all did

1168
00:45:24,230 --> 00:45:21,760
number two i believe that each and every

1169
00:45:26,150 --> 00:45:24,240
one of you in this room

1170
00:45:28,230 --> 00:45:26,160
is multi-talented

1171
00:45:30,550 --> 00:45:28,240
but we have something called a brain

1172
00:45:32,870 --> 00:45:30,560
where we can learn additional talents

1173
00:45:35,030 --> 00:45:32,880
and that's what education is all about

1174
00:45:37,109 --> 00:45:35,040
so that's really important

1175
00:45:39,270 --> 00:45:37,119
right and the last thing that i that i

1176
00:45:41,990 --> 00:45:39,280
believe that's really important for

1177
00:45:44,470 --> 00:45:42,000
success in life and that is i believe

1178
00:45:47,589 --> 00:45:44,480
that each and every one of us were born

1179
00:45:50,550 --> 00:45:47,599
for a reason there is something that you

1180
00:45:52,710 --> 00:45:50,560
are supposed to do or some things that

1181
00:45:55,190 --> 00:45:52,720
you are supposed to do in this life

1182
00:45:58,309 --> 00:45:55,200
now all of those require what they

1183
00:45:59,349 --> 00:45:58,319
require an active person someone

1184
00:46:01,670 --> 00:45:59,359
thinking

1185
00:46:04,630 --> 00:46:01,680
you figuring out who you are where you

1186
00:46:06,230 --> 00:46:04,640
are what position setting goals dreaming

1187
00:46:09,430 --> 00:46:06,240
finding people to

1188
00:46:12,950 --> 00:46:09,440
to help you along finding mentors

1189
00:46:16,069 --> 00:46:12,960
and so it not only requires

1190
00:46:17,530 --> 00:46:16,079
inspiration but aspiration that comes

1191
00:46:31,109 --> 00:46:17,540
from you

1192
00:46:36,870 --> 00:46:33,270
so when i hear the words the color of

1193
00:46:40,230 --> 00:46:36,880
space it uh it brings to mind probably

1194
00:46:42,870 --> 00:46:40,240
like a box of crayons in that

1195
00:46:44,630 --> 00:46:42,880
you know it's it has every color of the

1196
00:46:47,670 --> 00:46:44,640
rainbow as they say

1197
00:46:49,750 --> 00:46:47,680
um and it's and it's very inclusive

1198
00:46:52,390 --> 00:46:49,760
and i think that's the way space should

1199
00:46:53,750 --> 00:46:52,400
be it hasn't necessarily been that way

1200
00:46:56,230 --> 00:46:53,760
in the past

1201
00:46:57,829 --> 00:46:56,240
uh but we are on a new trajectory and we

1202
00:46:59,349 --> 00:46:57,839
can change that

1203
00:47:00,790 --> 00:46:59,359
so when i hear the color of space the

1204
00:47:02,710 --> 00:47:00,800
first thing that comes to mind is a

1205
00:47:05,670 --> 00:47:02,720
standing joke between lela melvin and

1206
00:47:07,270 --> 00:47:05,680
myself uh about when he was going up on

1207
00:47:09,190 --> 00:47:07,280
his first flight and because we go down

1208
00:47:10,870 --> 00:47:09,200
the hall and i'd raise my fist and i go

1209
00:47:11,670 --> 00:47:10,880
keep space black leaving keep space

1210
00:47:14,470 --> 00:47:11,680
black

1211
00:47:16,309 --> 00:47:14,480
and and that went on between us and uh

1212
00:47:18,710 --> 00:47:16,319
and when i was in space i sent an email

1213
00:47:20,230 --> 00:47:18,720
back to the system doing my best to

1214
00:47:21,270 --> 00:47:20,240
maintain the blackness of space for

1215
00:47:23,109 --> 00:47:21,280
everybody

1216
00:47:25,190 --> 00:47:23,119
you know the the color of space it's

1217
00:47:27,670 --> 00:47:25,200
interesting the theme of this this whole

1218
00:47:29,030 --> 00:47:27,680
celebration is is the color of space

1219
00:47:31,510 --> 00:47:29,040
space is black

1220
00:47:33,910 --> 00:47:31,520
uh it's it's it's except for where the

1221
00:47:36,230 --> 00:47:33,920
stars are it's the absence of light and

1222
00:47:38,390 --> 00:47:36,240
the inability to know where you're going

1223
00:47:40,549 --> 00:47:38,400
and the people that i consider to be the

1224
00:47:43,030 --> 00:47:40,559
best qualified to get there are people

1225
00:47:45,670 --> 00:47:43,040
who look like me who in spite of all

1226
00:47:47,109 --> 00:47:45,680
adversity um in spite of knowing whether

1227
00:47:50,150 --> 00:47:47,119
they're going to live or die or make it

1228
00:47:57,990 --> 00:47:50,160
to the next day persist in being

1229
00:48:03,750 --> 00:48:01,270
i know that you have taken away

1230
00:48:06,950 --> 00:48:03,760
many many many life lessons from these

1231
00:48:08,870 --> 00:48:06,960
wonderful heroes

1232
00:48:11,270 --> 00:48:08,880
i want to thank our panelists i want to

1233
00:48:13,349 --> 00:48:11,280
thank the audience for being here and

1234
00:48:19,589 --> 00:48:13,359
being a part of this very historic

1235
00:48:23,109 --> 00:48:21,190
my takeaway from this experience is

1236
00:48:25,510 --> 00:48:23,119
don't just assume what you can do but

1237
00:48:27,829 --> 00:48:25,520
take that step to see that you can do it

1238
00:48:29,270 --> 00:48:27,839
because a lot of times we think oh i

1239
00:48:31,190 --> 00:48:29,280
can't do this or we take from our

1240
00:48:32,710 --> 00:48:31,200
experience or what people say or our

1241
00:48:34,390 --> 00:48:32,720
surroundings and we're like well i can't

1242
00:48:36,710 --> 00:48:34,400
do this because of what i said or where

1243
00:48:38,390 --> 00:48:36,720
i'm from

1244
00:48:39,910 --> 00:48:38,400
when i was in the gift gift shop i was

1245
00:48:41,430 --> 00:48:39,920
looking at all you know the national

1246
00:48:43,910 --> 00:48:41,440
shirts and it was just one shirt that

1247
00:48:46,069 --> 00:48:43,920
said failure is not an option and i said

1248
00:48:47,750 --> 00:48:46,079
i need that because i need to believe

1249
00:48:49,829 --> 00:48:47,760
that for myself right now

1250
00:48:51,109 --> 00:48:49,839
and so your friends and family do they

1251
00:48:53,190 --> 00:48:51,119
know that you're here

1252
00:48:56,549 --> 00:48:53,200
my parents actually don't know

1253
00:48:58,069 --> 00:48:56,559
but they will know when to get back home

1254
00:49:00,230 --> 00:48:58,079
to come and meet astronauts that was

1255
00:49:03,270 --> 00:49:00,240
like the most exciting thing ever it was

1256
00:49:05,510 --> 00:49:03,280
really inspiring like i have so many

1257
00:49:07,109 --> 00:49:05,520
feelings just because

1258
00:49:09,829 --> 00:49:07,119
like one you owe me an astronaut every

1259
00:49:11,829 --> 00:49:09,839
day during the conversation

1260
00:49:14,230 --> 00:49:11,839
it's kind of crazy because

1261
00:49:16,870 --> 00:49:14,240
i'm very interested in uh things like

1262
00:49:19,430 --> 00:49:16,880
quantum mechanics apparent relativity

1263
00:49:20,630 --> 00:49:19,440
so i know this encourages me to

1264
00:49:22,710 --> 00:49:20,640
keep going i'm going to keep watching

1265
00:49:23,990 --> 00:49:22,720
people learning they're just like us

1266
00:49:26,230 --> 00:49:24,000
like

1267
00:49:27,589 --> 00:49:26,240
i was expecting my nurse was on me when

1268
00:49:29,349 --> 00:49:27,599
i was when i first walked in the room i

1269
00:49:31,109 --> 00:49:29,359
was like

1270
00:49:33,270 --> 00:49:31,119
from their stories i could tell they

1271
00:49:34,230 --> 00:49:33,280
went through the same some some trauma

1272
00:49:35,990 --> 00:49:34,240
or something

1273
00:49:37,750 --> 00:49:36,000
we all went through the senior thing and

1274
00:49:39,190 --> 00:49:37,760
that that just opened up like a level in

1275
00:49:40,630 --> 00:49:39,200
my mind where i'm like

1276
00:49:42,950 --> 00:49:40,640
okay

1277
00:49:56,930 --> 00:49:42,960
time described time the time to pick up