Childhood Dreams Of Flight
Born in 1933 in Kansas City, Kansas, Ed Dwight Jr. had dreams of flight from an early age. He began cleaning out planes at local hangars around age 5 or 6, desperate to get close to aviation.
Dwight recounted seeing a photo of a Black pilot shot down in the Korean War: “I was like, Oh my God, they’re letting black folks fly jets.” This gave him hope that his dreams could become reality one day.
Despite segregation limiting opportunities for Black Americans at the time, Dwight’s mother advocated tirelessly so he could attend a prestigious local Catholic high school. He became the first African American male to graduate in 1951, before earning an engineering degree and enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in 1953.
Breaking Barriers As An Air Force Test Pilot
Over the next decade, Dwight broke barrier after barrier within the Air Force. He racked up flight hours and flew some of the most advanced jets of the era, while also continuing his education.
By the late 1950s, Dwight’s engineering background and extensive training opened the door for him to enter the prestigious flight test school at Edwards Air Force Base.
He was one of only two Black officer pilots at Edwards. Under the leadership of the legendary Chuck Yeager, Dwight flew experimental aircraft at the limits of speed and altitude. He recalled the first time seeing the curvature of the Earth from a jet: “It’s absolutely stunning.”
Despite standing out for both his skill and race, Dwight still faced prejudice and scorn at Edwards, as he recounted in his autobiography. He was determined not to allow racism to stop him from excelling as a test pilot.
Pressure Grows For A Black Astronaut
As Dwight progressed at Edwards, the Space Race between the U.S. and Soviet Union intensified after the launch of Sputnik in 1957. The following year, NASA was formed and the Mercury Seven were introduced as the first American astronauts. They were all white military test pilots, similar to Dwight.
Seeing a need for more diverse representation amid the Civil Rights Movement, the Kennedy administration took interest in Dwight’s rapid rise. Edward R. Murrow, Kennedy’s information director, wrote in 1961: “Why don’t we put the first non-white man in space?”
As Dwight applied for astronaut training, young Black Americans rallied behind him. Black magazines proclaimed him an inspiration, with speaking tours and magazine covers celebrating the prospect of the first Black astronaut.
Mysterious Rejection From The Astronaut Corps
In 1963, Dwight was among those selected for advanced spaceflight training at Edwards, putting him in contention for NASA’s next astronaut class. Out of 136 applicants, 14 were chosen as NASA’s Astronaut Group 3 in October 1963. Dwight was not among them, despite his clear qualifications.
The reasons for his rejection remain unclear to this day. There are contradictory accounts on whether Dwight failed to meet selection criteria or if outside factors played a role. Racism and political pressure have been suggested by some historians.
Dwight himself believes Chuck Yeager’s hostility toward him poisoned his candidacy. Others claim he simply got edged out by the exceptional competition. Regardless of the reasons, it marked the abrupt end of Dwight’s astronaut ambitions.
Lasting Influence Despite Never Reaching Space
Dwight resigned from the Air Force in 1966, moving on to artistic pursuits\ including prominent public sculptures of Black historical figures and aviation themes. He never got to realize his childhood visions traveling in space.
However, Ed Dwight still made history as the first African American astronaut candidate. His ambition and accomplishments paved the way for Black astronauts in later generations. Though decades passed before Guion Bluford became the first Black astronaut in space in 1983, Dwight’s influence persisted thanks to increased diversity efforts at NASA.
As one of the great pioneers who opened doors for minorities in spaceflight, his legacy now lives on through art as well as asteroids – with NASA honoring him by naming a sky-bound rock after Captain Ed Dwight in 2021.
