BLOG: Harris Faulkner Takes Us Behind the Scenes as She Interviews Colonel Guion Bluford, the First African American in Space

In honor of Black History Month, the Ailes Apprentice Program is sponsoring a special series celebrating exceptional African Americans. Tomorrow morning at 8:20a ET, tune into Fox and Friends for Harris Faulkner’s interview with Colonel Guion Bluford, the first African American in space. Harris gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the interview below.

Happy Day of Love! And here's something that I loved recently:

We touched down at the airport in Cleveland, Ohio to head to the Great Lakes Science Center. Heavy snow falling, temperatures in the 20s and the ice along the shore of beautiful Lake Eerie glistening

in the sunlight that was breaking through the snow-puffed clouds. Yep, it’s winter in Cleveland! And, the people I must say are just as warm as a sunny day in Florida -- including our interview subject, Col. Guion Bluford.

Outside the Great Lakes Science Center

The Colonel and I had spoken on the phone a couple of times but this would be our first face-to-face meeting. And what a character. From his decorated days as a fighter pilot in Vietnam to a storied career as an astronaut who logged more than 600 hours in space. He’s retired now but forever teaching and motivating -- even me!

Harris Faulkner and Col. Bluford

We stepped into an area where scientists are preserving one of the vintage Apollo spacecrafts. Bluford didn’t fly Apollo but he knows about EVERY thing that NASA has flown. What a font of information. You’ll love his story about putting other people’s discouraging words on a shelf and pushing ahead with his dreams to fly in the heavens. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine -- collecting the best advice from some of those who’ve racked up some of the most impressive accomplishments among us.

Harris Faulkner Interviewing Col. Bluford

See you from the curvy couch on Fox and Friends tomorrow for the full interview! Tune in at 8:20a ET.