Sally Ride: The Actual Hero

Upon listening to both Janelle Monáe’s Sally Ride and Gil Scott-Heron’s Whitey on the Moon, the heroes of science are either recognized or hidden figures. The common “hero” is a white male who is seen as grand while other people from different ethnic/racial backgrounds or nonmales are uncredited or forgotten. Sally Ride was the youngest American and first woman to be in space. She contributed to science tremendously through space exploration and her discoveries in NASA. Scrutinized as a woman and being asked sexist questions during an interview and throughout her time working, she stayed classy, polite, and amazingly tolerated it. She received many honors and became a mission specialist. She eventually ran her own company as a CEO to inspire other young women to kickstart their careers in science and math. Sally Ride would not be considered a “hero” in the field of science because she is not a white male and was belittled due to being female. However, she was considered a hidden figure that contributed to science greatly and should be known as one of the true definitive heroes.