Ronald (left) and Carl McNair (right) were born 10 months apart in the Segregated South. The two were inseparable as toddlers and well into adulthood. In 1959, 9-year-old Ronald McNair went to a public library in Lake City, South Carolina because he was looking for more advanced books on science. Carl accompanied his younger brother and described what happened next: "So, as he was walking in there, all these folks were staring at him - because they were white folk only, and they were looking at him and saying, you know, 'Who is this Negro?' So, he politely positioned himself in line to check out his books. Well, this old librarian, she says, 'This library is not for coloreds.' He said, 'Well, I would like to check out these books.' She says, 'Young man, if you don't leave this library right now, I'm gonna call the police.' So he just propped himself up on the counter, and sat there, and said, 'I'll wait.'" The police and their mother were called to the library. Despite the librarian's protest, the police officer allowed Ronald to borrow the books. Ronald went on to get a PhD in Physics from MIT in 1976 and then soon after applied to join NASA. Carl supported his brother all the way, often in disbelief: "So how was a colored boy from South Carolina-wearing glasses, never flew a plane-how was he gonna become an astronaut?" Carl went on to say that "Ron was one who didn't accept societal norms as being his norm... That was for other people... he got to be aboard his own Starship Enterprise.” Ronald became the second Black astronaut when he flew as a mission specialist from February 3rd to 11th, 1984. Ronald was then chosen to be one of the 7 astronauts onboard the space shuttle Challenger. He died along with six other crew members on January 28, 1986, at the age of 35. Today, the library that refused to lend him books is now named after him.

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