NASA’s first black astronaut to orbit the moon pulls political race card using poem: ‘Whitey on the moon’

Victor Glover will make history as the first black astronaut to orbit the moon, piloting next year’s Artemis II mission, but for some incomprehensible reason, he has decided to make the mission just as much about race by invoking a 1970s poem titled, “Whitey On the Moon.”

(Article by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton republished from BizPacReview.com)

In an interview with Axios on Monday, Glover, who is also a US Navy Captain, claimed that the United States is in a similar place as it was when the original Apollo program was launched. The poem is being used to illustrate his point. Many Americans would contend that the claim is untrue and appears to be a woke message condoned by NASA.

(Video Credit: ABC7)

“Honestly, I started listening to [the poem] in the car to talk with my colleagues about it,” Glover said during the interview. “I live in the America that sent me to space, told my grandfather he couldn’t fly during the Korean conflict when he was enlisted, but he got to sit and watch me fly. We live in a very complicated country.”

“Whitey on the Moon” was written by jazz musician Gil Scott-Heron in 1970. He gave a performance of the poem on his album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. In it, Scott-Heron complains about the amount of money being spent on the Apollo program as black Americans struggled with debt, poverty, and high taxes. It boggles the mind that Glover would use a poem to allude to NASA spending too much on the new moon mission while black Americans suffer, considering he is piloting the mission.

The lyrics of the poem are telling culturally and politically.

(Video Credit: Ace Records)

A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face and arms began to swell.
(and Whitey’s on the moon)
I can’t pay no doctor bill.
(but Whitey’s on the moon)
Ten years from now I’ll be payin’ still.
(while Whitey’s on the moon) …

Taxes takin’ my whole damn check,
Junkies makin’ me a nervous wreck,
The price of food is goin’ up,
An’ as if all that s*** wasn’t enough …
Was all that money I made las’ year
(for Whitey on the moon?)
How come there ain’t no money here?
(Hm! Whitey’s on the moon)
Y’know I jus’ ’bout had my fill
(of Whitey on the moon)
I think I’ll sen’ these doctor bills,
Airmail special
(to Whitey on the moon)

Ironically, if compared to today, the financial woes of not only black Americans but everyone can be directly attributable to leftist economic policies. That’s a point that seems lost on Democrats of all races.

In the 1960s and 70s, a lot of Americans had doubts about the space program. They believed it cost too much, according to a report in 2012 from The Atlantic. But when the moon landings happened, Americans were proud and thrilled at the accomplishment by their country. Race was never a part of that patriotic feeling but black activists still contended that the money should have gone to help struggling poor blacks.

(Video Credit: NASA)

“Where we were in 1968 when humans first set out on this voyage, our country is in a very similar place now,” Glover told Axios. “And it’s important to recognize and respect those skeptics.”

It used to be that astronauts with NASA were mandated to not speak out on politics. But those days are apparently gone for good.

Glover spoke out on politics during the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020. He told Axios that NASA was cool with that when he was hired.

“When I came to NASA, you know, they said, ‘Hey, we hired you because of who you are,’” he recounted. “OK. Cool. You get all of it.”

Artemis II is the first manned mission to the moon in almost 50 years and not only is Glover the first black astronaut to go on a moon mission, but he will also pilot it.

They’re going to the Moon! Introducing the #Artemis II astronauts:

Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid), Commander
Victor Glover (@AstroVicGlover), Pilot
Christina Koch (@Astro_Christina), Mission specialist
Jeremy Hanson (@Astro_Jeremy), Mission specialist pic.twitter.com/jv0pPTIG5S

— Dr.Rajive K. Dikshit (@dikshit_rajive) April 12, 2023

“The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson (D) proclaimed in a statement. “This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity’s crew. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, each has their own story, but, together, they represent our creed: E pluribus unum – out of many, one. Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers – the Artemis Generation.”

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