Documentary 'The Space Race' Sheds Light on Black Astronauts' Legacy

The film explores the untold stories of Black astronauts, revealing the racial barriers they overcame and the Soviet Union's overlooked achievement.

The documentary 'The Space Race' highlights the stories of Black astronauts and their contributions to space exploration, focusing on the barriers they faced due to racial discrimination.
Directed by Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, the film features interviews with pioneering figures like Ed Dwight, the first Black trainee at the Aerospace Research Pilot School, and Guy Bluford, the first African American in space.
The film reveals that the Soviets sent the first Black person, Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, a Cuban pilot, to space in 1980, challenging the narrative of American space dominance.
Critics note the film's broad scope and occasional lack of focus but praise its effort to correct the historical record and spotlight under-discussed stories of Black astronauts.
The documentary also touches on the role of Afrofuturism and the influence of 'Star Trek' actress Nichelle Nichols in diversifying NASA's astronaut corps.