Vivian Ayers Allen, the mother of renowned performers Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad, has been honored by NASA for her significant contributions to the Apollo 11 mission. On July 19, a special ceremony was held at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, which has now been renamed the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of Women of Apollo,” as reported by theGrio.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche expressed pride in hosting this historic event. “On behalf of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, 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,” Wyche stated in a press release.
In the 1960s, women held pivotal roles at the space center, contributing to the successful moon landing. Among these trailblazers was Vivian Ayers Allen, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet, activist, and scholar. Her poem “Hawk,” which metaphorically aligned space flight with the concept of freedom, highlighted her visionary spirit. An excerpt from the poem reads:
“And then one night, unwittingly, I walked out, looked up and discovered a diamond-studded sky/ ‘Look at that,’ I thought/ A world resplendent with beauty and truth and dignity and freedom/ It was the first time I had ever really seen it/ The perfect scheme, then crystallized in my mind/ I would convert this energy to the wings and take to the stratosphere/ I’d soar up there.”
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To honor her legacy, NASA mounted a picture of Vivian Ayers Allen alongside her poem “Hawk” on a wall at the space center. Her children, Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashad, and their brother Andrew Arthur Allen Jr., attended the ceremony, commemorating their mother’s profound impact on space exploration. Vivian Ayers Allen celebrated her 100th birthday in 2023.
Debbie Allen shared her pride and gratitude on Instagram, posting a recap video of the event. “This weekend, we had the incredible honor of celebrating our mother, Vivian Ayers Allen, at NASA for being one of the Hidden Figures of the Apollo 11 Space Mission! Our hearts are overflowing with pride and gratitude ❤️ A special thank you to NASA and the director of the Johnson Space Center, Vanessa E. Wyche, for having us,” Allen wrote.
In addition to honoring past contributions, NASA is looking towards the future with its Artemis program, which aims to send multiple astronauts to the moon, including Black women and men. “As we prepare to return to the Moon for long-term science and exploration, NASA’s Artemis missions will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon,” Wyche stated, emphasizing the importance of diversity in space exploration.
The renaming of Johnson’s Building 12 to the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of Women of Apollo” serves as a tribute to the innovative women who laid the foundation for the nation’s space program. Vivian Ayers Allen’s recognition stands as a testament to her enduring legacy and the critical role women have played in advancing space exploration.
