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 Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Lisa Cortés 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.

The film will be paired with Sterling Hampton’s Kylie.

Content warning: References to anti-Black violence, systemic racism and police abuse.

Please note: The venue is wheelchair accessible and the film will have open captions. An ASL interpreter will be provided at the event upon request. Please email info@jayu.ca to request an interpreter. While they will do their best to accommodate, notifying them by December 1st gives them the best chance to book an interpreter in time for this event.