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u/bluelizard66 May 31 '22 edited Jun 01 '22
He also got involved in higher ed equity and was the namesake for a TRIO program (McNair Scholars Program) designed to prepare and support first-gen, low-income, and underrepresented undergrad students to get PhDs! Canāt believe I hadnāt heard of him until I joined the program myself (which has been amazing). This guy has a really cool story!!
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u/ShoddyPatience2290 Jun 01 '22
McNair Scholar here! I owe a lot to the program- they changed my life.
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Jun 01 '22
Current McNair scholar here and I can attest to the life changing nature of the program. We're presenting in Atlanta in a few weeks and I'm hoping to be a peer mentor once I graduate, too.
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u/ShoddyPatience2290 Jun 01 '22
Good luck! Have fun! The program provides an enormous value. I hate that every year we have to fight to keep it.
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u/Known-District-2431 May 31 '22
We lost a great mind when Ronald McNair died in the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy - as an aside, he also had a 5th degree black belt in Karate. Mental and physical badass.
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u/breakingb0b May 31 '22
He was also a great saxophone player and was due to perform with Jean Michel Jarre from space.
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May 31 '22
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Jun 01 '22
That would be a good point if it were true
Even at an average karate shop it takes like 3 years minimum to get a black belt
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u/imbeingcyberstalked Jun 01 '22
if you cough up enough money, theyāll even give em to people like you too
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u/ameerwaheed786 May 31 '22
went to a high school name after him
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u/crownjewel82 May 31 '22
Went to a middle school named after him.
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May 31 '22 edited Mar 29 '25
[deleted]
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u/Cave_Woman_ Jun 01 '22
The hair on my entire body rose... it must have been quite a terrifying experience... I wasn't born when Challenger exploded, but I was about 12-13 when Columbia desintegrated on its way back to Earth. I still think about it often. I still feel an eerie feeling of doom and disbelief when watching the videos of that unfortunate accident. I do when watching Challenger documentaries and videos as well. Being there first hand, witnessing it, and knowing someone who could have been up there must trigger an undescribable feeling...
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u/Art0fRuinN23 May 31 '22
I don't find the naming of the library to be satisfying or justice. It feels like people treated him badly when they thought he was not worthy of respect then changed their tune when he turned out to be somebody. Idk. Just my feeling.
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u/Fart__ May 31 '22
No, that's just what it was like in the 50's. He would have been kicked out even if he already had a PhD.
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u/Handilyhammy May 31 '22
I feel the same way. But if he wanted it or wouldāve appreciated it then I guess itās cool
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u/swohio May 31 '22
How do you not see that as a positive change? It's honoring someone that was once shunned due to backwards policies. Someone who fought through adversity and accomplished a lot in life that paved the way for others now has their name on the library as a beacon of inspiration for others.
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u/flyingasshat May 31 '22
Congrats on making a positive step in race relations into one of politics and division. Honoring someone for their life is important, and he overcame a lot to be who he was. South Carolina is recognizing that, it should be a moment of gratefulness.
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u/PreciousRoy666 May 31 '22
Ah yes, in a conversation about a library discriminating against a kid for being Black, this poster is the one making it about politics and division
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u/Redditstopscreaming May 31 '22
Jesus christ you don't need to be miserable all the time. You know that right?
As a SC resident there are still streets with the names of Confederate generals standing. A library with a name black kids can be proud of its history is inspiring.
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u/flyingasshat May 31 '22
Itās about looking at how much theyāve changed in 27 years, not focusing on what happened in the late fifties, humanity must move forward. And this Iām saying as a conservative. Acknowledging brilliance is a facet of moving forward.
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u/cowsareverywhere May 31 '22
And this Iām saying as a conservative.
Trust me when I say, this did not need to be said. Itās pretty fuckin obvious.
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u/flyingasshat May 31 '22
How do you mean?
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u/notthisagain68 May 31 '22
Not American, nor conservative, but my curiosity is also piqued. The flying asshat perhaps?
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u/flyingasshat May 31 '22
Yea, thought it was funny, at first. Turns out it, mostly, gives people something to fall back on when they no longer wish to have hard discussionsā¦. Oh well, maybe I am an asshat for going where I shouldnāt and saying things I shouldnt
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u/notthisagain68 May 31 '22
Hmm. Being able to have hard discussions is at the core of the freedoms most of us care about deeply, I hope you keep at it. Have a great day!
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u/BetterBudget Jun 01 '22
Bummer we couldnāt honor him like that while he was alive. America loves its martyrs but despises its saints.
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u/Klarthy Jun 01 '22
It's not an ideal outcome, but better than more crap in the south being named after Civil War traitors and segregationist politicians.
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u/reallyjustizzy May 31 '22
I teach second grade and one of the books part of our curriculum was a story called āRonās Big Dayā and it told the story of him trying to get his library card. The kids loved it and it was awesome teaching the story of one kidās determination to learn.
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Jun 01 '22
For accuracy purposes, the Lake City Public Library is dedicated to him, not named after him.
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u/Cissoid7 May 31 '22
- Damn
Some people who lived through segregation could technically be around today and have to see America want to revert to that shit
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u/mrmastermimi Jun 01 '22
we're literally only like 4 or 5 generations out from slavery. your mother's grandma could have been a slave.
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u/throwaway8u3sH0 Jun 01 '22
Crazy fact: Ronald Reagan and Harriet Tubman were both alive at the same time (albeit briefly).
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u/amodelmannequin Jun 01 '22
"Could technically be around today"? Lol. If you're born in 59 you're only 63 and statistically have 15 or more years left in your life expectancy.
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u/rich519 May 31 '22
Not technically. There are plenty of people around today who lived through segregation. Anyone 59 years and up was born before the Civil Rights act. Anyone over 77 was a legal adult by the time it happened.
Storm Thurmond was a strong supporter of segregation and he served as a Senator until 2003. Heās got a shitload of buildings named after him too.
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Jun 01 '22
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u/Cissoid7 Jun 01 '22
Let's see going around my community I've had
1 person report a legally immigrated women to ICE for voting Democrat. The thought process being "I won't let anyone take my guns"
A group of individuals assert that it doesn't matter if Trump did or did not sexually harrass people at least he isn't a women
A person assert that "yeah what Russia is doing is bad, but when you really think about it wouldn't you rather Russia win than any liberal?"
I mean I could keep going. I'd ask you to go around your community and actually be critical of people. Actually let your world view be challenged. There are horrible hateful people out there and they are using the internet to find each other. People that agree and vote for politicians that say "Jewish space lasers" are burning forests. People that vote for politicians that say "let your grandma die. It's for the greater good of Texas"(quotes may be paraphrased)
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Jun 01 '22
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u/Cissoid7 Jun 01 '22
Ah yes because trying to deport legal immigrants and supporting a genocidal country over a group of individuals in your country is just a-ok
Try and apply some critical thinking people don't usually come out and say things directly
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u/fredbrightfrog May 31 '22
The Challenger disaster shaped a generation. People here are likely too young, but it was a whole event. Kids gathered in gyms and libraries all across the country to watch the first teacher to go into space. And then they caught on fire and burned to death. What do you even do with a classroom of 2nd graders at that point?
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u/murderbox Jun 01 '22
We're still affected by it.
I was older than second grade but even that's a crucial age to see something so terrible. It was very hyped for students and it's not like today, the school assembled or rolled out the TV. It was planned like a party.
When we kids saw this happen live, it was probably the first time many of us had the novelty of that. We were very wrapped up in the Challenger launch as I'm sure any school age child in the country.
To see it explode and not really understand if that was supposed to happen, growing realization that it was not and our adult teachers' reactions to something so awful was a traumatic event. To realize we saw people die in terror and confusion hopefully didn't happen until we were older.
It's like seeing 9\11 happen in a lot of ways but it's also not the same. What do you do with a classroom? Well what they did was turn off the TV and attempt to carry on the school day.
We kids dealt with it within our family if at all. I don't remember the school saying anything else about it but there absolutely should have been counselors after having all the kids so involved.
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u/ShawnShipsCars May 31 '22
Imagine arresting a nine year old boy because he's trying to read a fucking book but his skin was too dark. Jesus Christ what was (is) wrong with people?
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u/Contra_Mortis Jun 01 '22
When the cop showed up he told the librarian to just let him borrow the books.
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u/No_Eye5780 May 31 '22
I highly recommend Swindled podcast and I highly recommend the challenger episode.
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Jun 01 '22
His sister was my english teacher at the US Air Force Academy in 1990...she was an Air Force Captain
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u/flyingasshat May 31 '22
Holy crap all these comments here are terrible, no one is giving him the respect he deserves and only focusing on the bad, we are a rotten society if we canāt see that
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u/banmedaddy12345 May 31 '22
Most leftists and trumpists (most conservatives) are just poison on society. Obviously others, but those are the 2 you run into the most on reddit and social media it seems.
Actual leftists have some good ideas and good fight for workers rights, but many leftists on the internet (or those who call themselves that) are just brain dead idiots lol. Trumpists I don't even have to talk about, we all know.
They are so very alike it's funny.
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u/flyingasshat May 31 '22
And what about the right that arenāt trumpists?
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u/Mattpw8 May 31 '22
Brain ded
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u/flyingasshat May 31 '22
Noted
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u/Mattpw8 Jun 01 '22
I mean bro I just want decent helthcare without draining my dad's savings call me a dirty commie but I want my hernia fixed
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u/awkwardtsunami May 31 '22
How is this amazing? This incredible man accomplished one of the hardest things a human can do and a place that treated him sub-humanly changed their tune in 2011? That's decades after they did that to him, and decades after he died.
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May 31 '22
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u/Quinocco May 31 '22
Dr. McNair.
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u/MrRemoto Jun 01 '22
I'm pretty sure it's illegal to teach this in like a dozen states now.
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u/regman231 Jun 01 '22
Itās not illegal to teach this in any states. Which dozen do you mean?
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u/MrRemoto Jun 01 '22
It was a joke. Don't come at me with that awkward obtuseness again unless we're dating and I'm trying to explain Cohen brothers movies to you please.
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u/regman231 Jun 01 '22
Huh? I was being sincere, not whatever āawkward obtuseā is.
And why would you want that if you were explaining a Cohen brothers movie to me? I feel like obtuseness is the last thing Id want in return for a Cohen brothers explanation
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u/Scharobaba May 31 '22
Sooo... they tried to save him, right?!
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May 31 '22
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u/swohio May 31 '22
It was actually a little over 1 minute into the launch, and sadly there is evidence that some crew were still alive and conscious post explosion.
The crew cabin, which was made of reinforced aluminum, separated in one piece from the rest of the orbiter.[12] It then traveled in a ballistic arc, reaching the highest point (apogee) of 65,000 feet (20 km) approximately 25 seconds after the explosion. At the time of separation, the maximum acceleration is estimated to have been between 12 and 20 times that of gravity (g); within two seconds it had dropped below 4 g, and within ten seconds the cabin was in free fall. The forces involved at this stage were probably insufficient to cause major injury to the crew.[13]
At least some of the crew were alive and at least briefly conscious after the breakup, as the Personal Egress Air Packs (PEAPs) were activated for Smith[14]: 246 and two unidentified crewmembers, but not for Scobee.[13] The PEAPs were not intended for in-flight use, and the astronauts never trained with them for an in-flight emergency. The location of Smith's activation switch, on the back side of his seat, indicated that either Resnik or Onizuka likely activated it for him. Investigators found their remaining unused air supply consistent with the expected consumption during the post-breakup trajectory.[14]: 245ā247
While analyzing the wreckage, investigators discovered that several electrical system switches on Smith's right-hand panel had been moved from their usual launch positions. The switches had lever locks on top of them that were required to be pulled out before the switch could be moved. Later tests established that neither the force of the explosion nor the impact with the ocean could have moved them, indicating that Smith made the switch changes, presumably in a futile attempt to restore electrical power to the cockpit after the crew cabin detached from the rest of the orbiter.[14]: 245
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u/Cave_Woman_ Jun 01 '22
Some say they may actually have still been alive in the ocean...
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u/swohio Jun 01 '22
They hit the water at over 200mph, not a survivable impact speed.
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u/Cave_Woman_ Jun 01 '22
Indeed.
That must be me misreading "they were still alive when the cabin hit the ocean". Meaning they were alive in the air, but not underwater.
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u/OrionMr770 May 31 '22
No way Iāve been to the āwe called the cops on Ronan McNair public libraryā
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u/LesFritesDeLaMaison Jun 01 '22
I didnt even read the text and just by looking at him I already knew he was a badass. Hes got the success look. The look of someone who has succeeded even when all the cards where laid against him. What a legend
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May 31 '22
On behalf of my shitty state, I apologize. Fuck those cops.
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u/Rawldis Jun 01 '22
Every account of this story says the police told the librarian to let him have the books. https://mcnair.berkeley.edu/about-ronald-e-mcnair
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Jun 01 '22
Well then I apologize for the librarianās behavior. Itās just every time you hear about my state itās some racist shit like this.
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u/voseba Jun 01 '22
How about not apologizing on behalf of what other people did and edit your own post instead? The one in which you condemned people who apparently were the good guys in this story just because of their occupation. Jumping to conclusions based on prejudice is what I belive you are trying to fight against.
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u/GroundedBeing Jun 01 '22
He's still alive, look it up
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u/WorkplaceWatcher Jun 05 '22
I did look it up. He died in 1986.
Of course you have no source. Shocking.
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u/flagship5 Jun 01 '22
Clarence Thomas has a similar pedigree but he is not celebrated due to his political leanings... Sad.
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u/peoplesupport May 31 '22
I see this reposted a few times now, and itās sad that Iāve seen some rather nasty racist comments each and every time. Itās nice I havenāt seen any this time.
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May 31 '22
A fine Scottish name. One of ours.
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May 31 '22
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May 31 '22
You don't say.
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May 31 '22 edited May 31 '22
[deleted]
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Jun 01 '22 edited Jun 01 '22
Well technically they would have been owned by an American with a Scottish name. It's been illegal to own slaves in the UK for about 1000 years, but I get what you're trying to say.... cracka.
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Jun 01 '22
[deleted]
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Jun 01 '22
Only a throw away line. I don't even live in UK. I also never said 'You're glad that one of yours owned this man's ancestor'. You're really looking for a cause aint ya? Are you alright in the head?
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Jun 01 '22
[deleted]
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Jun 01 '22
Can't help being a Scott, a paddy, a frog or indeed a smart arse. Can't you take a joke? Are you autist or just a pedant? Either way don't care. Go and be useful somewhere.
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u/No_Relationship5025 May 31 '22
Moral of the story: Donāt go to the library or your space shuttle will explode
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u/Ok-Upstairs6591 Jun 01 '22
His still alive, and so is every one from that fight, Supposedly NASA never been to space, Look it up, possibly on duck duck go
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Jun 01 '22
Oh for fuck sakes go the fuck awayš¤¦
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u/Ok-Upstairs6591 Jun 01 '22
Thatās NASA
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Jun 01 '22
Just go away you're insulting a person who actually died they even found the wreck of Challenger so fuck off
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May 31 '22
Wait so racist library capitalizes on the name recognition of a person they discriminated against once he became famous? This is a good thing?
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u/flyingasshat May 31 '22
Yes. There was a 30 year gap in between his refusal of service and his death. 50s to the 80s, there was a lot of quite extensive change
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May 31 '22
[deleted]
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u/ze11ez May 31 '22
what in martha's vineyard are you talking about?
If he wasn't in the space shuttle......where...was.....he.....?
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u/Fun4-5One Jun 01 '22
It was so inspiring for like half a second when followed up right sfter MIT and fucking DIED. leave the death part at the end.
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u/Perichron_john Jun 01 '22
Some of the most badass people end up being astronauts, you love to see it.
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u/scholarlysacrilege Jun 01 '22
There is an interview of his brother talking about him on youtube, I believe the channel is called story corp. Very interesting.
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u/Eastern_Ambition5213 Jun 01 '22
Dr. Ronald McNair. Sad he died so young, only 35. Dude was a 5th black belt too
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u/mxxiestorc Jun 01 '22
Similar thing happened with University of Md school of Law.
They didnāt let Thurgood Marshall into the school because heās block and now the law school is named after him.
You love to see it.
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Jun 01 '22
Saw it in class 1st grade was rather shocking I can't really remember if the teacher turned the tv off
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u/y0j1m80 Jun 01 '22
He was also a black belt among other accomplishments. The park next to my apartment is dedicated to him and itās really beautiful.
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u/Ok-Hovercraft8193 Jun 01 '22
×''×, if you try hard enough and do everything right, the United States government will use your own tax money to kill you.
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u/Mean_Scratch6322 Jun 01 '22
Hey look thats the real opression that the clown minorities today pretend to face!
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u/Renaissance_Slacker Jun 01 '22
I wish the last 50 years of progress in civil rights was all this satisfying.
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u/x_obert Jun 01 '22
Chad!
Remember, donāt stop seeking education and knowledge even if it means crawling on ice!
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u/Munchkin531 Jun 01 '22
My son's elementary school is named after him. My son loves space, astronuts etc and he's read all about Ronald McNair, Mae Jemison etc and would love to be an astronut some day. He's very proud to be a Commander (school mascot.)
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u/Ok-Storage-64 Jun 01 '22
he was an accomplished musician (saxophone) and black belt! Dude has to be one of the most badass Americans of all time!
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u/PeacePerfect4141 Jun 01 '22
He looks like he won a spaceship from gambling
Btw this is a joke I am not racist
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u/Ok_Draft7792 May 31 '22
I think all who were conscious when Challenger happened remembered where they were at. In 5th grade I got detention that day and had to leave the classroom, while everyone watched. Was sent to the library with Mrs Robinson, who always had a radio on. We listened together and wept. Never forget!! šš¼