Review – ‘The Space Race’ is as Dynamic as the Black Astronauts it Highlights

There’s a popular and near satirical trope in film and television that centers around the concept that the African American life and experience is not only sacrificial, but entertainment fodder, for largely white audiences. It may be recognized as a trend in horror movies (the Black guy dies first) but it very much has true and historical roots, as Black pioneers, leaders and inventors are often left unaccredited, discredited or otherwise assassinated (figuratively and literally). Most are left to fall through the cracks, while others may have credit for their work stolen completely. But on some rare occasions, some get their just due—Floyd Norman for his contributions to early American animation, Gerald Anderson Lawson for video game cartridges, and now America’s bevy of black Astronauts, including the until-recently unsung hero, Captain Ed Dwight Jr.

The Space Race debuts February 12, 2024 on National Geographic and on Disney+ and Hulu the following day.

Official Synopsis

THE SPACE RACE weaves together the stories of Black astronauts seeking to break the bonds of social injustice to reach for the stars, including Guion Bluford, Ed Dwight and Charles Bolden among many others. In THE SPACE RACE, directors Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza profile the pioneering Black pilots, scientists, and engineers who joined NASA to serve their country in space, even as their country failed to achieve equality for them back on Earth. From 1963, when the assassination of JFK thwarted Captain Ed Dwight’s quest to reach the moon, to 2020, when the echoes of the civil unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd reached the International Space Station, the story of African Americans at NASA is a tale of world events colliding with the aspirations of uncommon men. The bright dreams of Afrofuturism become reality in THE SPACE RACE, turning science fiction into science fact, and forever redefining what “the right stuff” looks like, giving us new heroes to celebrate, and a fresh history to explore.

REVIEW – Capturing the Resolve of the Afronaughts

A member of the very first flight program of its kind under the Kennedy Administration during their quest to win the race to the Moon in the decade of the “Space Age,” Captain Ed Dwight Jr. became a symbol of hope and promise for the entire African American community. And even though he’d gotten closer than anyone before—before he was selectively excluded from the final roster of pilots—he opened the gates for those who would ultimately become the first Black Astronauts, or as they were more affectionately known within their own circle, The Afronauts.

Enter directors Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza’s The Space Race; a film that not only honors Captain Ed Dwight Jr.’s contributions to the path to space discovery, but also highlights others who made important steps in space exploration over the years, including Ronald McNair, Leland Melvin, Guion Bluford, Charles Bolden and more.

The film is laced with archival footage and images, but is edited in a way that embodies a spirit of dynamism. The parallels between the flight programs of the early 1960s and now are given a glaring spotlight. The film has its start during a highly politicized era, but it never stays on that topic to the point of confusion; instead it takes a slice out of the particulars of the African American perspective and gives the “hows” and “whys” behind each intricate decision.

The Space Race keeps a pacing that feels exciting and lets viewers in on the sense of discovery, as the uninitiated get a deeper look inside the inner-workings of space and astronautics in the simplest terms. Each segment feels like a “will-they-or-won’t-they”  race to the finish line, and the film never shies away from the good, the bad or the ugly: Ed Dwight Jr. gets accepted to the space program but isn’t selected, Ron McNair is assigned the Challenger mission in the 1980s, but the shuttle explodes mid-flight. The victories are often tempered with the setbacks, but—as is the Black experience—these only strengthen the resolve of the ones who come after.

We find a delightfully enthusiastic cast in our highlighted Afronauts, each one reliving the details of their respective missions as if they occurred were yesterday. The film is beautifully shot, well edited without filler or fluff, and has a soundtrack that adds just the right touches of color when it pops in. The narrative isn’t static, and as much as it rings about the past, it’s about the rambunctious spirit and ever-evolving times of an entire people—their continuing contributions, the brilliance of their minds and the unwavering resolves that continues to shape astronautics as we know it.

RATING – 4.5/5 Pocky