For Duchess Harris, Ph.D. (BF’09), then a tenured associate professor at Macalester College, a Bush Fellowship gave her support to pursue legal studies and earn her law degree. The former chair of the American studies department at Macalester, Harris is an author and scholar of contemporary African American history and political theory. She is currently on sabbatical, developing several books focusing on law enforcement and the United States’ prison system that are expected t

All systems were a go for Dr. Duchess Harris when she threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Minnesota Twins’ July 20 game at Target Field against the Oakland A’s. The honor was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing that took place July 20, 1969. Harris’ grandmother, Miriam Mann, was one of 11 Black women mathematicians recruited by NASA to assist in the agency’s quest to put a man on the moon. The story, which in part came to light due to H

Saturday, July 20 vs. Oakland Athletics, Presented by Select Heartland Chevy Dealers (6:10 p.m.) The first pitch will be thrown by Dr. Duchess Harris, an American Studies Professor at Macalester College, the author of “Hidden Human Computers: The Black Women of NASA” and the granddaughter of Miriam Daniel Mann, who worked for NASA as an expert mathematician from 1943 until 1966. >> Read the press release!

“Why is the act of a brown body on white ice political?” Duchess Harris, a professor at Macalester College and author of a six-volume examination of race and sports, offers context around Brownbody, a Twin Cities performance ensemble that melds modern dance, theater, and social justice while seeking to “break down cultural barriers in figure skating.” Following a thread from Saartjie Baartman, the South African Khoikhoi woman exhibited in the early 1800s as the “Venus Hottent

Saturday is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and a Macalester professor's grandmother is one of the women whose tireless mathematical work set the stage for one of the biggest moments in history. Miriam Daniel Mann was one of the original 11 African American women working for NASA in the mid-20th century, known as the "human computers," who worked in segregated conditions. Mann worked for NASA from 1943 to 1966 and knew the women depicted in the movie Hidde

Miriam Daniel Mann was one of 11 African American women mathematicians responsible for helping John Glenn get to orbit - which paved the way for NASA's moon landing. >> Watch the video now!