On May 19, Dwight, 90, traveled into space as a passenger on Jeff Bezos’ “Blue Origin” mission, and completed a journey he was denied 63 years ago as a prospective first African American astronaut. Stepping from the capsule, after less than 10 minutes in flight, Dwight threw his arms into the air and exclaimed, “I’m ecstatic!” 

Like the creation of the monuments on which he has worked tirelessly over the years, Dwight was a candidate in the NASA space program but was rejected, he believed, because of a racist commander. He resigned from the Air Force in 1966 and became an entrepreneur before taking classes in sculpture.

As of late 2019, he has created 129 memorial sculptures and more than 18,000 gallery pieces, which include paintings and sculptures, several of which have made it into space.

Dwight’s genius, perseverance, and his determination not to let racism stifle his dreams is but a recent example of a Black American striving for success and excellence.

His statues on the waterfront in Detroit will never make it across the river, but Dwight, despite time and obstacles, has achieved a quest that began years ago as a child playing with toy airplanes in Kansas City, Kansas.

Someday there may be a statue of Dwight, perhaps at NASA, as a reminder of his accomplishments and what could have been achieved if he had been permitted to stay in the program. 

Reprinted from the Amsterdam News