Parallel Press launches 'Astro Black,' a visual archive of Black astronauts

'Astro Black,' a groundbreaking publication from Parallel Press, showcases the narratives of 18 Black astronauts, utilizing resources from the Black Press Archive at Howard University, the National Archives Catalog, and the NASA Image & Video Library. Co-founded by renald Louissaint and Akoua Smith, the press is dedicated to chronicling Black accomplishments across various fields. The initiative arose from a pressing need to safeguard public domain space visuals amidst the potential cuts to federal programs during the Trump administration. Featuring metallic textures and monochromatic collages by Steven Horton Jr., the book also alludes to Sun Ra's 'Astro Black' and Madlib's 'Quasimoto: The Unseen.' Research was aided by editor Taryn Finley, with the book launched at Nicer Tuesdays in New York City in June 2025.