Sophia Danenberg
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Sophia Danenberg | |
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Born | Sophia Marie Scott 1972 Okinawa, Japan |
Other names | Sophia Marie Scott |
Education | Harvard University: Environmental Sciences and Public Policy |
Employer | The Boeing Company |
Political party | Democratic Party |
Sophia Danenberg (born 1972) is an American mountain climber best known as the first African American and the first black woman to climb to the summit of Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain. Danenberg is active in local and national politics and serves as a Washington State Park Commissioner. She is biracial, with her mother Japanese and her father black.
Early life[]
Danenberg was born in 1972 in Okinawa, Japan, to the name Sophia Marie Scott. Her father was stationed in Japan as a member of the United States Army.[1] At age 1, her family moved to the United States. As a toddler, her family moved back to Japan. Danenberg once again moved to the suburbs of Chicago, Homewood, at age 6. She graduated Homewood-Flossmoor High School in 1990 after participating on the school's track team.[2]
Initially, Sophia Danenberg studied Applied Math and Chemistry at Harvard University. After traveling to Thailand, Danberg switched to an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences and Public Policy when she saw the possibilities of the juxtaposition of the natural environment and economy. Danenberg graduated magna cum laude and was one of the first five students to graduate from this program. Upon graduation, Danberg was a Fulbright Fellow at Keio University in Tokyo, where she first began to rock climb.[3][4][5]
Career[]
Sophia Danenberg started her career at United Technologies Research Center, managing energy and indoor air quality projects. In 2003, Danenberg became a Senior Engineer for the Green Engine Program at Pratt & Whitney. In 2005, she joined the EHS division.[6] In this position, she discovered the company was unknowingly using flame retardant banned by the European Union. The discovery lead to a change in how industry handles dangerous chemical bans.[3]
As of 2009, Danenberg was recruited to Boeing to develop their International, Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) policy analysis program. Additionally, her role includes coordinating advocacy input for EHS outside of the United States.[6]
Political Involvement[]
Sophia Danenberg contributed to the campaign effort for Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential Election.[7] In 2008 she served as a delate to the Democratic National Convention.[8] Danenberg was also a presidential elector for the Biden-Harris ticket in the 2020 election.[9][10] On September 17th, 2019, she was appointed to fill the Washington State Park Commissioner post by Governor Jay Inslee. She filled in the vacant seat left by retiree Pat Lantz.[5] Danenberg currently holds this position; her term expires presently on December 31st, 2026.[4] In 2021, she was appointed to the King County Districting Committee.[11]
Sophia Danenberg also serves on the board of NatureBridge, SheJumps, National Institute of Reproductive Health, and the legislative and public affairs committee of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA).[11][4][3][12]
Accomplishments[]
Mount Everest[]
After originally planning on summitting Cho Oyu, Danenberg decided to climb Mount Everest one week before beginning the journey due to monsoon conditions.[13][14] Sophia Danenberg began the climb of Mount Everest unguided, choosing her own route, carrying her own gear, and making her own decisions at age 34.[3] At 7 A.M. on May 19, 2006, Danenberg reached the top of Mount Everest.[15] Withstanding bad weather during the night that delayed some other climbers in her party, Pa Nuru Sherpa and his brother Mingma Tshiring were the only climbers to witness the event. At the time, Danenberg was suffering from bronchitis, a stuffed nose, frostbite on her cheeks and a clogged oxygen mask.[3] Sophia Danenberg was the first African American and the first black woman to reach the summit.[16]
Summits[2][7] |
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Everest |
Aconcagua |
Denali |
Kilimanjaro |
Tasman |
Baker |
Grand Teton |
Ama Dablam |
Rainier |
References[]
- ^ "UPDATE | Navy happy after parks commission gives OK to SEAL training in Washington State Parks". Port Townsend Leader. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ a b "Little Known Black History Fact: Sophia Danenberg". Black America Web. 2020-03-09. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
- ^ a b c d e "Trailblazing Boeing leader took 'little steps' to become first African American to summit Everest". GeekWire. 2020-04-26. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
- ^ a b c "Commissioners | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission". parks.state.wa.us. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ a b "Inslee Appoints Sophia Danenberg To State Parks And Recreation Commission". The Seattle Medium. 2019-09-18. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ a b "EHS Strategy, International Policy Analysis". NAEM - The National Association for Environmental Management. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
- ^ a b Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Sophia Danenberg: First Black woman to climb Everest sees increased equality | DW | 17.07.2020". DW.COM. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
- ^ Chief, JESSE A. HAMILTON; Washington Bureau. "OBAMA CAMPAIGN NEW CHALLENGE FOR CLIMBER". courant.com. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ Brunner, Jim (14 December 2020). "Washington's presidential electors award state's 12 Electoral College votes to Biden and Harris". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Under attack from Trump, institutions bend but don't break". The Columbian. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ a b "King County Appoints Four Members to 2021 Districting Committee". Auburn Examiner. 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ "SHEJUMPS | Open990". www.open990.org. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ "Tough Girl Podcast: Sophia Danenberg - The first African American and first Black woman to climb Mount Everest". toughgirlchallenges.libsyn.com. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
- ^ "Conversation with Sophia Danenberg: First African American to Climb Everest". Melanin Base Camp. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
- ^ Mills, James Edward (2014). The adventure gap : changing the face of the outdoors. Seattle. ISBN 978-1-59485-868-0. OCLC 884630998.
- ^ Courant, Teresa M. Pelham; Special to The. "GLASTONBURY WOMAN MAKES HISTORY WITH EVEREST CLIMB". courant.com. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
External links[]
- SophiaDanenberg.org (official site). WebCitation archive.
- Living people
- American mountain climbers
- 1972 births
- American summiters of Mount Everest
- African-American sportswomen
- American sportspeople of Japanese descent
- Female climbers
- Harvard University alumni
- 2020 United States presidential electors
- Washington (state) Democrats
- 21st-century American women
- Homewood-Flossmoor High School alumni
- 21st-century African-American women
- 21st-century African-American politicians
- 20th-century African-American people
- 20th-century African-American women