April 15, 2025
Mae Jemison took one giant leap for gender equality in a recent interview
Trailblazing astronaut Mae Jemison offered a quick lesson during an interview, correcting a reporter who used the term “mankind” instead of the more inclusive “humankind.”
The awkward exchange happened while Jemison—the first Black woman in space—spoke with Vladimir Duthiers of CBS News ahead of Blue Origin’s historic all-female flight on April 14. After a few teachable moments, Jemison gently corrected Duthiers when he asked her to explain, “Why even a trip like this one, all the trips that we take into space, benefit mankind.”
“So it benefits humankind, and I’m gonna keep correcting,” she said in a clip shared online. “And the mankind and the man-made and the manned missions, because this is exactly what this mission is about—is expanding the perspective of who does space.”
“Humankind, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Duthiers quickly interjected.
The moment was one of several where Jemison made a powerful push for gender-inclusive language while discussing Blue Origin’s all-female celebrity spaceflight, which included singer Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King. Jemison, who spent eight days in space in September 1992, reflected on how her journey revealed that people can be so “human-centric that we forget we are part of this greater universe.”
The interview grew a bit tense when Duthiers appeared surprised that scientific experiments were part of the flight, prompting a pointed response from Jemison.
“I don’t think a lot of people knew [that],” he said. “They thought it was just six women going up into space for a joy ride.”
“What do you mean, just six women?” Jemison pushed back.
“Well, that’s what I mean,” Duthiers said before his colleague Nate Burleson jumped in to attempt damage control.
“He’s speaking to the perspective and some of the narratives that are out there,” Burleson said.
“That’s what I mean!” Duthiers added, “I’m glad that you’re here to help me correct that narrative.”
Jemison made history in 1992 as the first Black woman to travel to space, serving as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. She remains a pioneering force in aerospace, using her platform to advocate for greater inclusivity and representation in the industry.
Joining Perry and King on the historic all-women Blue Origin flight were civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
The mission, which flew 62 miles above Earth, marked Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight and the first all-female crewed space trip since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s groundbreaking solo flight in 1963.
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