ADVENTURES WITH SIDEENA
ABC’s of Space
By Sideena Grace
The idea of Black folks in space was a foreign concept to me as child of the 1950s and early 1960s. In the sci-fi movies of the 1950s, we were absent from that picture (Note: in the 1951 sci-fi movie When Worlds Collide, how many Black folks were on that spaceship when it left the Earth?).
1966 changed all that with the arrival of Star Trek and Lt. Uhura as a bridge officer on the USS Enterprise. Using her fame as Lt. Uhura on the show, Nichelle Nichols encouraged African Americans to become part of the space program years later. The result: Guy Bluford became the first African American astronaut, and Dr. Mae Jemison became the first African American female astronaut. And the gift keeps on giving, thanks to authors such as Sideena Grace with her children’s book Adventures with Sideena: ABCs of Space.
Beautifully illustrated with fun and whimsy by Roo Taylor, Grace takes the reader through the ABCs of word association in the world of space exploration. Starting with Astronaut and ending with Zero Gravity, her style engages children in thinking and visualizing themselves achieving success in the field of aeronautics/astrophysics, inviting them to join in the adventure.
The fact that Grace herself is a space scientist makes this book even more meaningful and inspiring. She has a bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics from Hamline University, and a master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. In addition to her gifts as an engineer, author, and speaker, she is the founder of Grace Innovations, LLC. Her love of learning and her earnest desire to pay it forward is captured in this part of her dedication: “I dedicate this book to young dreamers who are curious about the universe. May this book inspire and fuel your passion to pursue STEAM, reminding you that with curiosity, determination, and perseverance, anything is possible.”
Adventures With Sideena: ABCs in Space is available through Amazon and the Minnesota Black Authors Expo website (www.mnblackauthorsexpo.com).
Thank you, Sideena, for those who have gone before you, for those who have made you the role model you are, and for those who will follow you as you pay it forward. The universe is infinite!
W.D. Foster-Graham
W.D. Foster-Graham is a native son of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received a B.A. in psychology from Luther College, and he was an original member of the multi-Grammy-Award-winning ensemble, Sounds of Blackness. He has also been recognized by the International Society of Poets as one of its “Best New Poets of 2003,” is a guest writer for journalist/author/entertainer Wyatt O’Brian Evans.
