Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Oral History Interview

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

The oral history consists of 2016.129.1.1a and 2016.129.1.2a: two versions (unedited, and edited) of a single digital video recording. Major General Charles F. Bolden was interviewed as part of the NMAAHC Donor Oral History Collection. General Bolden donated some of his personal belongings, including uniforms, supplies, and photographs, to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In this oral history interview, General Charles Bolden describes his childhood in Columbia, SC, where he grew up in an environment that was educationally and culturally stimulating, despite the strict legal segregation that existed. He discusses his early interest in science and how he became determined to attend the Naval Academy while still a teen. He describes how he overcame many obstacles that were the result of racial discrimination to achieve his dreams and eventually become a Major General, astronaut, and the Administrator of NASA (appointed by President Barack Obama).

Explore Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture ↗