Black History

Patricia S. Cowings, Biofeedback Specialist at NASA Helps Astronauts Beat ‘Space Sickness’

Space sickness, this is called, is a serious problem for many astronauts, one that aerospace psychophysiologist Patricia S. Cowings (1948 –) studies extensively and is helping to find cures. She designed a program, using biofeedback, that would take astronauts less than six hours to complete and learn to control the sickness.

Published

4 years ago

March 6, 2022

Tamara Shiloh

Patricia S. Cowings. NASA.gov photo.

By Tamara Shiloh, Post News Group

An astronaut barfing during space travel might not sound serious, but this normal human function can be fatal when spacewalking. One can become blind from the acidic contents, and because the space gear cannot be removed, the contents could be inhaled or clog the oxygen circulation system.

Biofeedback is a technique used to learn to control some of the body’s functions, such as heart rate.

During this training, Cowings teaches astronauts to mentally evoke a sensation to bring about desired physiological changes such as increased skin temperature or relaxed muscles, according to NASA’s website.

The results of Cowings’ research were “first tested in space and found successful during the 1992 Spacelab-J mission,” according to science writer Tiffany Wayne. Cowings replicated the conditions causing motion sickness, recording the physiological and psychological changes that occurred.

The astronauts affectionately called her “the Baroness of Barf.”

Cowings grew up in the Bronx, N.Y. Her mother was an assistant preschool teacher and her father, a grocery store owner. Both parents impressed upon their children that “education is a way of getting out of the Bronx.”

Her three brothers pursued careers as a two-star army general, a jazz musician, and a freelance journalist. Cowings would eventually become the first woman to be trained as a scientist astronaut by NASA and is the principal investigator for NASA’s Human Information Processing Branch.

Cowings graduated from State University of New York at Stony Brook and later earned her PhD from the University of California at Davis. Taking an engineering class while there opened the door for her to participate in designing a space shuttle. This created her desire to work in the field of space technology. But the path to greater success was not without roadblocks.

As a Black woman in a white male–dominated field at NASA, Cowings has had to demand respect. During a meeting she was told by an official that she “just wasn’t the right type for interacting with the astronauts.” Clearly understanding the innuendo, Cowings responded, “I’m type O-positive. What type are you?”

The official, she said, “thought that it had to be a tall, pink man that interacted with the astronauts, and that nobody was going to listen to a little brown woman.” She described this interaction as “kind of devastating.”

But Cowings’ “stubborn streak” and mentor helped her overcome these types of obstacles. “But still, I have to defend my research.”

The faces of NASA have evolved from Cowings’ early years. Today she works with female astronauts from all cultural groups.

To learn more about Cowlings and other Black women — from judges to rocket scientists to corporate executives — read “No Mountain High Enough: Secrets of Successful African American Women,” by Dorothy Ehrhart-Morrison.

Tamara Shiloh

About Tamara Shiloh

Tamara Shiloh has published the first two books in her historical fiction chapter book series, Just Imagine…What If There Were No Black People in the World is about African American inventors, scientists and other notable Black people in history. The two books are Jaxon’s Magical Adventure with Black Inventors and Scientists and Jaxon and Kevin’s Black History Trip Downtown. Tamara Shiloh has also written a book a picture book for Scholastic, Cameron Teaches Black History, that will be available in June, 2022.

Tamara Shiloh’s other writing experiences include: writing the Black History column for the Post Newspaper in the Bay area, Creator and Instruction of the black History Class for Educators a professional development class for teachers and her non-profit offers a free Black History literacy/STEM/Podcast class for kids 3d – 8th grade which also includes the Let’s Go Learn Reading and Essence and tutorial program. She is also the owner of the Multicultural Bookstore and Gifts, in Richmond, California,

Previously in her early life she was the /Editor-in-Chief of Desert Diamonds Magazine, highlighting the accomplishments of minority women in Nevada; assisting with the creation, design and writing of a Los Angeles-based, herbal magazine entitled Herbal Essence; editorial contribution to Homes of Color; Editor-in-Chief of Black Insight Magazine, the first digital, interactive magazine for African Americans; profile creations for sports figures on the now defunct PublicFigure.com; newsletters for various businesses and organizations; and her own Las Vegas community newsletter, Tween Time News, a monthly publication highlighting music entertainment in the various venues of Las Vegas.

She is a member of:

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)

Richmond Chamber of Commerce

Point Richmond Business Association

National Association of Professional Women (NAPW)

Independent Book Publishers Association (IPBA)

California Writers Club-Berkeley & Marin

Richmond CA Kiwanis

Richmond CA Rotary

Bay Area Girls Club

Tamara Shiloh, a native of Northern California, has two adult children, one grandson and four great-grand sons. She resides in Point Richmond, CA with her husband, Ernest.

www.multiculturalbookstore.com

Posts by Tamara Shiloh | Website

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Tamara Shiloh

About Tamara Shiloh

Tamara Shiloh has published the first two books in her historical fiction chapter book series, Just Imagine…What If There Were No Black People in the World is about African American inventors, scientists and other notable Black people in history. The two books are Jaxon’s Magical Adventure with Black Inventors and Scientists and Jaxon and Kevin’s Black History Trip Downtown. Tamara Shiloh has also written a book a picture book for Scholastic, Cameron Teaches Black History, that will be available in June, 2022. Tamara Shiloh’s other writing experiences include: writing the Black History column for the Post Newspaper in the Bay area, Creator and Instruction of the black History Class for Educators a professional development class for teachers and her non-profit offers a free Black History literacy/STEM/Podcast class for kids 3d – 8th grade which also includes the Let’s Go Learn Reading and Essence and tutorial program. She is also the owner of the Multicultural Bookstore and Gifts, in Richmond, California, Previously in her early life she was the /Editor-in-Chief of Desert Diamonds Magazine, highlighting the accomplishments of minority women in Nevada; assisting with the creation, design and writing of a Los Angeles-based, herbal magazine entitled Herbal Essence; editorial contribution to Homes of Color; Editor-in-Chief of Black Insight Magazine, the first digital, interactive magazine for African Americans; profile creations for sports figures on the now defunct PublicFigure.com; newsletters for various businesses and organizations; and her own Las Vegas community newsletter, Tween Time News, a monthly publication highlighting music entertainment in the various venues of Las Vegas. She is a member of:

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
Richmond Chamber of Commerce
Point Richmond Business Association
National Association of Professional Women (NAPW)
Independent Book Publishers Association (IPBA)
California Writers Club-Berkeley & Marin
Richmond CA Kiwanis
Richmond CA Rotary
Bay Area Girls Club

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of October 29 – November 4, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 29 – November 4, 2025

Published

3 days ago

November 3, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Mayor Lee Responds to OPD Chief Floyd Mitchell’s Decision to Resign

Chief Mitchell announced last week that he will be stepping down from his position after 18 months. His final day will be Dec. 5.

Published

1 week ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

OPD Chief Floyd Mitchell. Official portrait.

By Ken Epstein

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee Office has responded to the announcement that OPD Chief Floyd Mitchell has decided to resign.

Chief Mitchell announced last week that he will be stepping down from his position after 18 months. His final day will be Dec. 5.

“I want to thank Chief Mitchell for his dedicated service to Oakland and his leadership during a critical time for our city,” said Mayor Lee.

“Under his tenure, we have seen significant reductions in crime – a testament to his commitment to public safety and the hard work of our police officers,” said Lee. “I am grateful for Chief Mitchell’s collaboration with our administration and his focus on community-centered policing.

“The women and men of the Oakland Police Department have my full support as we work together to ensure a smooth transition and continue building on the progress we’ve made for Oakland’s residents,” Lee said.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

A Call to Save Liberty Hall: Oakland’s Beacon of Black Heritage Faces an Uncertain Future

For generations, Liberty Hall has been more than bricks and wood — it has been a spiritual and cultural sanctuary for Black Oakland. The building once served as a hub for Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), where Garvey’s call for economic independence and Pan-African unity resonated through the hearts of a people newly migrating to the West in search of freedom and dignity.

Published

1 week ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Liberty Hall at 1483-1485 8th St., in Oakland was built in 1877 as a store and residence. Wikimedia photo.

Special to The Post

On a quiet corner near the West Oakland BART Station stands a weathered but proud monument to African American history — the Universal Negro Improvement Association’s Liberty Hall, also known as the Marcus Garvey Building. Built in 1877, this two-story Italianate landmark has witnessed more than a century of struggle, self-determination, and community empowerment. Now, its survival hangs in the balance.

Local 188 of UNIA was the largest chapter in Northern California when the organization bought the building in 1925, but a fire burned the roof in 1931, and the chapter sold the building in 1933. The International Peace Movement, founded by Father Divine, used the building through the 1950s.

Since then, the building has been a meeting ground for civil rights organizers, artists, and educators like Overcomers With Hope who have carried that same flame of liberation through Oakland’s turbulent decades.

Today, local cultural organizer and artist Douglas “Pharoah” Stewart has stepped forward to lead the charge to save Liberty Hall. Stewart is already facing “Cultural Eviction” at the Oakland Cannery, and through his organization, Indigenous House, Stewart has rallied a coalition of artists, educators, historians, and community leaders to preserve and restore the site as a community-owned cooperative center — a place where arts, wellness, and economic empowerment can thrive for future generations.

“Liberty Hall is not just a building — it’s a living ancestor,” Stewart says. “This space gave birth to movements that shaped who we are as a people. If we lose this, we lose a piece of our soul.”

Stewart envisions transforming the historic landmark into a multi-purpose cooperative hub — complete with a cultural museum, community performance space, youth tech labs, and creative studios for local entrepreneurs. His vision echoes Garvey’s own: “A place where we can rise together, economically, spiritually, and culturally.”

But the fight is urgent. The aging building faces structural challenges, and time is running short to secure preservation funding. Stewart and his team are now calling on city officials, foundations, athletes, and celebrities to join forces with the community to raise the necessary capital for acquisition and restoration.

“We’re inviting everyone — from the Oakland A’s to local artists, from Golden State Warriors players to Black-owned businesses — to stand with us,” Stewart urges. “Let’s make Liberty Hall a model for what preservation can look like when the people lead.”

The Liberty Hall Project aligns with Oakland’s growing movement to protect historic Black cultural sites — places like Esther’s Orbit Room, Marcus Bookstore, and the California Hotel. For Stewart, Liberty Hall represents a chance to bridge the city’s past with its future, transforming preservation into a living, breathing act of justice.

“This is not nostalgia,” Stewart says. “This is nation-building. It’s about creating sustainable, community-owned spaces that honor our ancestors and empower our youth.”

As development pressures mount across West Oakland, Liberty Hall stands as a powerful reminder of resilience, resistance, and rebirth. The question now is whether the community — and those with the power to help — will answer the call.

For donations, partnerships, or information about the Liberty Hall Cooperative Development Project, contact Indigenous House at www.indigenoushouse.org Douglas Stewart dstewart.wealth@gmail.com