Mae Jemison Calls Out Reporter: “It’s Humankind, Not Mankind”
Mae Jemison made a powerful stride for gender equality in a recent interview.
Trailblazing astronaut Mae Jemison took the opportunity to educate during an interview, correcting a reporter who used the term “mankind” instead of the more inclusive “humankind.” The exchange occurred while Jemison—who made history as the first Black woman in space—spoke with Vladimir Duthiers of CBS News ahead of Blue Origin’s all-female flight on April 14. After a few enlightening moments, Jemison kindly corrected Duthiers when he asked her to explain how space missions benefit “mankind.”
“So it benefits humankind, and I’m going to keep correcting,” she said in a clip shared online. “The terms ‘mankind,’ ‘man-made,’ and ‘manned missions’ need to change because this mission is all about broadening the perspective of who can be part of space exploration.”
“Humankind, I apologize, I apologize,” Duthiers quickly responded.
The moment was just one of many where Jemison advocated for gender-inclusive language while discussing Blue Origin’s all-female celebrity spaceflight, which featured singer Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King. Reflecting on her own space journey in September 1992, Jemison highlighted how it showed people can become so “human-centric” that they forget we are part of a much larger universe.
The interview took a tense turn when Duthiers seemed surprised that scientific experiments were part of the flight, leading to a pointed response from Jemison.
“I don’t think a lot of people knew that,” he said. “They thought it was just six women going into space for a joy ride.”
“What do you mean, ‘just six women’?” Jemison responded, challenging him.
“Well, that’s what I meant,” Duthiers replied, before his colleague Nate Burleson stepped in to try to smooth things over.
“He’s referring to some of the perspectives and narratives out there,” Burleson explained.
“That’s exactly what I meant!” Duthiers said, adding, “I’m glad you’re here to help me set the record straight.”
In 1992, Jemison made history as the first Black woman to travel to space, serving as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. She continues to be a trailblazer in aerospace, using her platform to champion inclusivity and representation within the industry.
Alongside Perry and King on the historic all-women Blue Origin flight were civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
The mission, which soared 62 miles above Earth, was Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight and marked the first all-female crewed space trip since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s pioneering solo flight in 1963.
