CBS News Anchor Schooled For Saying 1 Word To Female Astronaut

The first Black woman to go into space made one small step for gender equality on Monday.

Dr. Mae Jemison, who spent eight days in space in September 1992, spent Monday morning commenting about the Blue Origin space flight featuring an all-female celebrity crew that included Katy Perry and Gayle King.

During a CBS News segment that aired before the rocket launch, Jemison noted how her own experience taught her that people can be so “human-centric that we forget we are part of this greater universe.”

She also threw a little shade at her interviewer, Vladimir Duthiers, after he expressed surprise that scientific experiments would take place during the flight.

“I don’t think a lot of people knew [that],” the CBS host said. “They thought it was just six women going up into space for a joy ride.”

“What do you mean, just six women?” Jemison pushed back.

“Well, that’s what I mean,” Duthiers said, before his fellow interviewer, Nate Burleson, attempted damage control.

“He’s speaking to the perspective and some of the narratives that are out there,” Burleson said, and Duthiers took the lifeline.

“That’s what I mean!” Duthiers added, “I’m glad that you’re here to help me correct that narrative.”

But Jemison had to correct the narrative again, almost immediately after Duthiers asked her to explain to viewers “why even a trip like this one, all the trips that we take into space, benefit mankind.”

Jemison then gently reminded her interviewer, “Uhh, so, it benefits humankind.”

She then promised to “keep correcting the ‘mankind,’ and the ‘man-made,’ and the ‘manned missions’ because this is exactly what this mission is about, is expanding the perspective of who does space.”

Duthiers, understanding the gravity of using “mankind” in a situation that was supposed to celebrate women, quickly corrected himself.

“Humankind. I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said.

Jemison then explained why space travel benefits everyone, regardless of gender.

“Why is space important?” she said. “When you just look at it, when you go up, you get a perspective on this world that you can’t get from looking down on the ground, and you can get it much faster.”