Indianapolis, Indiana – Former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison made history as the first woman of color to
travel into space. On Saturday, November 21, from noon to 4 p.m., she will bring her story to The Indianapolis
Public Library’s Fall Fest 2026 at Central Library. A brief book signing will follow her fireside chat.
Fall Fest, presented by The Indianapolis Public Library’s African American History Committee in support of
the Center for Black Literature & Culture (CBLC), is a free, family-friendly event that introduces young people
in the Indianapolis community to inspiring and relatable role models.
Dr. Jemison will be a special guest at the event. She served six years as a NASA astronaut and flew as the
Science Mission Specialist aboard the joint NASA-Japanese space agency mission, Space Shuttle Spacelab-J.
Today, Jemison leads 100 Year Starship® (100YSS), a nonprofit global initiative working to ensure that the
capabilities for human travel beyond our solar system to another star exist within the next 100 years while
transforming life on Earth. Dr. Jemison has authored articles and books including “Find Where the Wind Goes:
Moments from My Life” for teenagers, the Scholastic True Books’ 100 Year Starship series on space
exploration as well as co-editor of The Canopus Award Anthology (2015 & 2017) and 100 Year Starship
Symposia Proceedings.
She will take part in a fireside chat with J.R. Edwards, an Indianapolis native and public services associate at
Central Library. Before joining The Indianapolis Public Library, Edwards held leadership roles at Lockheed
Martin, where he supported major space exploration programs, including NASA’s Orion spacecraft, the Hubble
Space Telescope and the Mars Curiosity mission. He also led global space exploration outreach and advocacy
efforts. His achievements in space exploration and global outreach have earned him numerous honors, including
the Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana’s highest civilian honor.
In addition to the fireside chat with Dr. Jemison, local youth will perform their winning entries from this year’s
Slammin’ Rhymes Challenge, a contest for poets, rappers and spoken word artists in grades 6-12. This year’s
theme is “Hope.”
The event will also feature performances by Mobile Ed – Air: The Invisible Wonder, Guns Down Gloves Up
Indy, 40+ Double Dutch Club, EliteDRIP Dance Company and poet Ellise Smith.
“The goal of Fall Fest is twofold. We want to give young people a space to build confidence, develop their
public speaking skills and share their gifts while meeting inspiring individuals who encourage them to pursue
their dreams,” said Cordia Watkins, event organizer and circulation manager at The Indianapolis Public Library.
“We also want young people to know that the Library celebrates their talents, believes in their potential and is
here to support them as they discover all they can achieve.”
Fall Fest was founded by The Indianapolis Public Library’s African American History Committee as a
celebration of African American culture through interactive programming. In previous years, Fall Fest has
included face paintings, local school choirs, fashion shows, youth crafts, live entertainment and interactive
storytelling.
The Indianapolis Public Library’s African American History Committee was formed in November 1979 to
increase awareness of the contributions made by African Americans to our society, to encourage more African
American programming throughout the Library system, and to present the diverse accomplishments and
heritage of African Americans to the general public.
This event is free and open to the public and made possible by The Indianapolis Foundation Library Fund, J.
Steve & Donna D. Talley Fund and Dr. Michael R. Twyman Endowment Fund through gifts to The
Indianapolis Public Library Foundation.
About The Indianapolis Public Library
For more than 150 years, The Indianapolis Public Library has continuously adapted and expanded to serve the
evolving needs of our city and its residents. The Indianapolis Public Library strives to be indispensable to our
growing number of visitors and stands as a vital public resource to our community. The Indianapolis Public
Library has more than 280,000 cardholders and a total annual circulation of 8,737,602 at our 25 branch
locations and Bookmobile. More information at indypl.org.
