NASA Honors Poet Vivian Ayers Allen, 101, For Her Contributions To Apollo 11 Mission
On July 19, NASA honored Vivian Ayers Allen, 101, the mother of actors Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad, for her contributions to the Apollo 11 mission.
The ceremony, held at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, celebrated the women who played crucial roles in the success of the historic moon landing in 1969.
The building was renamed the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of Women of Apollo,” acknowledging the legacy of these pioneering women.
A Legacy of Excellence and Perseverance
Ayers Allen, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet, activist, and scholar, was among the women recognized for their contributions to NASA’s Apollo program.
Her poem “Hawk” metaphorically linked the journey into space with the quest for freedom. An excerpt from her poem reflects this connection:
“And then one night, unwittingly, I walked out, looked up and discovered a diamond-studded sky… I would convert this energy to the wings and take to the stratosphere/ I’d soar up there.”
In her honor, NASA displayed a picture of Ayers Allen and her “Hawk” poem on a wall at the space center.
Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashad, and their brother Andrew Arthur Allen Jr. attended the ceremony, celebrating their mother’s legacy.
Celebrating Women Pioneers in Space
“We are proud to host this historic event as the agency honors the significant contributions women have made to the space industry, particularly trailblazers who persevered against many challenges of their era,” NASA Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche stated in a press release.
The ceremony also highlighted NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send the first woman and the first person of color to the moon.
Feature Image Credit: Joe Scarnici via Getty Images
