Our nation needed something to counter the “make America great again” narratives attacking workplace diversity and inclusion.
It got it when Artemis II lifted off in Florida, circled the moon, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California.
When the crew of astronauts, which included Victor Glover and Christina Koch, returned to Earth, the social epidemic of anti-wokeness — with its virulent strains of racism and sexism — was administered an inoculation. Think of it as a temporary vaccine against human resources stupidity.
With a Black man piloting the spacecraft, there was no crashing into the dark side of the moon. That was notwithstanding fears prominently expressed (by a famous MAGA advocate) of flying on commercial flights with Black pilots.
Also, to all the purported “manly men” populating the dank abyss known as the manosphere, I pose two questions. Could they have endured the rigors of space that Christina Koch did for 10 days? Could they have served as the flight’s “space plumber” — as she did?
Thus, America should be grateful that NASA is not part of the Department of Defense. For we would likely have seen Secretary Pete Hegseth purging Glover, a former Navy aviator, and Koch from the mission —just as he has repeatedly purged other Black and female talent in his culture war against diversity.
American social epidemics can be enduringly malevolent (e.g., Jim Crow, 20th-century anti-Asian sentiments, and 21st-century antisemitism). Or they can be uplifting. The diversity of the Artemis II mission offers us the latter. But it will be essential to continuously circulate images of all four crew members together. American eyeballs should see them in our schools and in Congress.
But the Artemis II mission offers yet one additional high note.
Over the past centuries, Black Americans have experienced multiple divides — barriers either created intentionally or by the absence of empathy. There were the racial embargoes of segregation that hindered the pursuit of higher education, decent homes, and many jobs. In the early years of the Internet Age, a digital divide had evolved, characterized by limited access to computing power. That was based on the affordability of the technology or disparities in broadband availability in certain urban and rural communities.
Most recently, we are seeing yet another digital divide regarding access to and proficiency with artificial intelligence (AI). As we march toward the year 2030, many Americans may face the threat of functional obsolescence or competitive disadvantage unless they are AI adept.
There is also, however, the risk of a “cosmic divide.” This would involve the absence of Black Americans in future opportunities generated by space exploration.
So, here is the stark political reality. It confronts Black Americans and technical professionals of color — i.e., military officers, scientists, and engineers. NASA’s future objectives include establishing a long-term, continuous presence on and around the Moon. The Artemis II crew’s staffing, inclusive of Glover and Koch, had been established during the Biden Administration.
Yet I suspect that any attempt by Donald Trump to change the Artemis II crew would have delayed the recent mission. And that likely would have disrupted the timeline for subsequent lunar missions. But that doesn’t mean that his anti-Biden and anti-diversity instincts won’t attempt to bar a future Black presence in space.
G. Lamont Blackstone consults with organizations including the Urban Bankers Coalition and African American Real Estate Professionals of New York. This commentary was originally published by the Philadelphia Tribune