Passed over as the first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight carved out an impressive second act

In the early 1960s, Edward Dwight Jr was recruited into the US Aerospace Research Pilot School, training to become an astronaut and, perhaps, the first Black person in space. But just as quickly as the opportunity had been thrust upon him, it disappeared when NASA named its chosen men – all of them white. The Lost Astronaut features Dwight recalling how his life has been shaped by a love of flight, the racial dynamics of the United States and his persistence in the face of adversity, which culminated in a celebrated career as a sculptor later in life. The film is part of the Canadian filmmaker Ben Proudfoot’s short documentary series Almost Famous, which features stories of notable people who never quite became household names.