Ed Dwight (1933)

Ed Dwight

Ed Dwight, full name Edward Joseph Dwight Jr. is an American sculptor, writer, and former test pilot.

He was the first African-American to enter the Air Force training program from which NASA selected astronauts. He resigned from the Air Force in 1966 for reasons of racial discrimination, politics and bureaucracy and turned to the arts. Dwight earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the University of Denver in 1977 and excelled as an artist. Most of Dwight's work depicts only black people, and his acclaimed series Jazz: The Shape of American Art focuses on the evolution of jazz and includes all iconic jazz performers.

Ed Dwight has had a thriving career in sculpture and has many high-profile projects to his credit. His unique masterpieces are displayed in several memorials across the United States. He has also become a historian and writer.