In the same way the first african americans in the space program had to be at their best at all times with all that was riding on their presence there they could not fail this book combines the fields of space history african american history southern history and social history to tell its story bringing these fields together requires an analysis of a segregated society that embraced technology and promoted a federal agency that called for desegregation it further requires an . Its a nearly forgotten history that authors richard paul and steven moss investigate in their new book we could not fail it profiles some of the first african americans in the us space programme and the lasting impact of their work bbc world news we could not fail is hard to put down reading about the personal experiences of african americans with technical expertise before the civil rights era resonated strongly as it likely will for any reader with african american ancestors . We could not fail the first african americans in the space program paul richard moss steven the space age began just as the struggle for civil rights forced americans to confront the long and bitter legacy of slavery discrimination and violence against african americans. We could not fail tells the inspiring largely unknown story of how shooting for the stars helped to overcome segregation on earth richard paul and steven moss profile ten pioneer african american space workers whose stories illustrate the role nasa and the space program played in promoting civil rights they recount how these technicians mathematicians engineers and an astronaut candidate surmounted barriers to move in some cases literally from the cotton fields to the launching pad . If we dont have it interlibrary borrowing suggest a purchase limited to stanford community system status login my account feedback reporting from message your name your email stanford users can avoid this captcha by logging in send cancel check system status report wrong cover image searchworks catalog select search scope currently catalog all catalog articles website