Black History Month: Honoring Explorer Barbara Hillary
When you think of explorers trekking the North and South Poles, you might picture scientists in their 20s-30s. But what if we told you one of the trailblazers in polar exploration was, in fact, a 75-year-old African American woman? Meet Barbara Hillary: an inspiring woman who reminds us what is possible when one follows their dreams, regardless of the adversities they may face. Hillary's message was simple. When passion is coupled with proper planning, there is nothing you can not achieve.
Hillary didn’t just make history as a 75-year-old African American woman exploring the rough landscape of the North Pole. She broke racial barriers and inspired young men and women of color to bravely pursue their goals regardless of whether the path was already paved for them.
This Black History Month, and with our new Poles Apart STEM game, we’re honoring explorer Barbara Hillary, who didn’t let stereotypes stop her from chasing her dreams.
Life Before Poles Exploration
Barbara Hillary was born in 1931 in New York City. She began her career as a public health nurse, teaching healthy habits and nutrition. Later, she ran a successful publishing company focused on community advocacy and founded the Arverne Action Association and the Peninsula Magazine.
In 1998, at the age of 68, Hillary was diagnosed with lung cancer, which resulted in a 25 percent reduction in her breathing capacity due to the removal of part of her lungs. Even with health limitations and the odds stacked against her, she will go on to pursue a long-held dream of exploring both the North and South Poles.
A Big Goal Takes Proper Planning
In 2007, at 75, Barbara Hillary became the first African American woman to reach the North Pole. While an extraordinary achievement, Barbara didn’t stop there. Four years later, at 79, she reached the South Pole. With a tool set of curiosity, careful planning, determination, and a love of learning, Hillary made history as the first African American woman to explore both the North and South Poles.
To offer some perspective, only 300 people worldwide had reached both poles by 2011, and Barbara did it just shy of turning 80!
Exploring the poles ignited Barbara Hillary’s passion for advocating for the natural world, and in 2019, at age 88, she traveled to the Mongolian steppe to explore a community threatened by climate change.
Mental Hurdles and Careful Planning
Hillary was a strong advocate for the power of proper planning and goal-setting. Remaining adaptable to obstacles and learning new skills was what she modeled, and the secret to her success. In preparation for her North Pole trek, Hillary decided to learn to ski for the first time at age 70. Training to learn a winter sport wasn’t common in Harlem, New York let alone for a mature woman in her 70s.
How did she do it? To reach her ambitious goal, Hillary stayed curious, asked questions, researched every possible outcome, and made a practical plan to turn her dream into reality.
How Goal-Setting Relates to STEM
Endurance alone wasn’t what made Hillary’s trek a success. She had to examine systems such as weather patterns, geography, and the logistics of survival on such tough terrain. Every step required sharp executive function skills, such as problem-solving to survive harsh climates, staying adaptable when faced with obstacles, and time management to know when to keep moving or when to set up camp and preserve her energy.
Hillary tapped into STEM thinking skills to plan her trek and survive in the wild. She used analytical STEM skills, such as observing patterns, making predictions, testing decisions, and exploring possible outcomes, while remaining flexible when faced with changing weather or dangerous conditions.
Barbara Hillary's Legacy
Barbara wasn’t just the first black woman to reach both poles; she was also an activist who spoke about climate change and its effects on the polar regions and gave speeches at numerous organizations, including the National Organization for Women (NOW), and was featured on NBC News and CNN.com.
Barbara also inspired African American youth to see themselves in underrepresented industries, such as science and ecological exploration. Her legacy is as grand as the terrain she explored, and although Barbara Hillary passed away in 2019 at age 88, her message lives on.
The secret to success is no secret. A combination of curiosity, planning, strategy, determination, and self-belief can make any goal attainable.
Ready to Explore the Poles through Play? Meet Poles Apart.
