The film Hidden Figures is based on true events. The book was written by Margot Lee Shetterly and it’s interesting to note that the movie came out before the book was published. That’s the Hollywood film industry for you! Hidden Figures presents many issues which would make excellent research topics. Which ones stand out in your mind?
The following are some facts I found on the Internet:
Over the course of her three decades at NASA, Katherine Johnson’s biography includes an impressive list of accomplishments. She calculated trajectories for Alan Shepard’s groundbreaking 1961 spaceflight (America’s first human in space), she verified the calculations for John Glenn’s first American orbit of Earth, she computed the trajectory of Apollo 11’s flight to the moon, and she worked on the plan that saved Apollo 13’s crew and brought them safely back to Earth. For her accomplishments, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 24, 2015. –NASA Katherine Johnson Documentary
“At the time the black women came to work at Langley [in 1943], this was a time of segregation,” says Hidden Figures author Margot Lee Shetterly. “Even though they were just starting these brand new, very interesting jobs as professional mathematicians, they nonetheless had to abide by the state law, which was that there were segregated work rooms for them, there were segregated bathrooms, and there were segregated cafeterias. On their table in the cafeteria was a sign that said ‘colored computers,’ which sort of sounds like an iMac or something, right, today? But this referred to the black women who were doing this mathematical work.” They were essentially human computers. -Al Jazeera
NACA (the precursor to NASA) hired five women in 1935 to be part of their first computer pool at the Langley Research Center. NACA began recruiting African-American women shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which thrust the U.S. into the war and increased the demand for workers in the defense industry. President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which prohibited “discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries or government because of race, creed, color, or national origin.” -PopularMechanics.com
As we explored the Hidden Figures true story, we discovered that Dorothy Vaughan became NACA’s first black supervisor in 1948, five years before Katherine Johnson started working there. Vaughan was also an advocate and voice for the women in the “West Computers” pool. The movie shows her leading the women down the hall to their next assignment, an obvious nod to the team of astronauts walking down the hall in the 1983 movie The Right Stuff. -PopularMechanics.com
About running to find a colored restroom: In Margot Lee Shetterly’s book, this is something that is experienced more by Mary Jackson (portrayed by Janelle Monáe) than Katherine Johnson. Mary went to work on a project on NASA Langley’s East Side alongside several white computers. She was not familiar with those buildings and when she asked a group of white women where the bathroom was, they giggled at her and offered no help. The closest bathroom was for whites. Humiliated and angry, Mary set off on a time-consuming search for a colored bathroom. Unlike in the movie, there were colored bathrooms on the East Side but not in every building. The sprint across the campus in the movie might be somewhat of an exaggeration, but finding a bathroom was indeed a point of frustration.
As for Katherine Johnson herself, Shetterly writes that when Katherine started working there, she didn’t even realize that the bathrooms at Langley were segregated. This is because the bathrooms for white employees were unmarked and there weren’t many colored bathrooms to be seen. It took a couple years before she was confronted with her mistake, but she simply ignored the comment and continued to use the white restrooms. No one brought it up again and she refused to enter the colored bathrooms.
Mary Jackson, portrayed by Janelle Monáe in the movie, was hired to work at Langley in 1951. Like in the movie, she accepted an assignment assisting senior aeronautical research engineer Kazimierz Czarnecki (renamed Karl Zielinski in the movie), who encouraged her to pursue a degree in engineering, which required her to take after-work graduate courses. She petitioned the city of Hampton to be able to attend graduate classes alongside her white peers. She won, got her degree, and was promoted to engineer in 1958. -PopularMechanics.com
These women are much to be admired. What do you find the most admirable about them? Would you consider them heroes? If you had a daughter, which one of these women would you like your daughter to emulate? Hope you enjoyed the film as much as I did!
Use the comment section to record your thoughts on the questions I’ve given you in this post. Two paragraphs should be enough to express yourself. Be brief and precise.~~LMMolina
Check out the following video for more details on Katherine Johnson’s career during her time with NASA.
https://youtu.be/bLgzHutK1wo
To be honest, the thing I find the most admirable about them is that they didn’t give up. No matter what obstacles they faced, they would not back down, and fight for what they believed in, be it with Katherine and her calculations, or with Dorothy and learning to code the IBM, and not to forget Mary Jackson who managed to become a brilliant engineer. What matters here is that in those times, where women were thought to be lesser than males, and being a person of color was like a curse, these women rose up and fought for a better cause. Through all of their hardships, they didn’t fight only for themselves, but for women and people of color in general. These 3 women could be considered the beginning of an age of equality for all of humanity, be it for people of color or for women.
Throughout the movie we see them all struggle in many different ways, just like with the bathrooms for Katherine. This is the cruel reality of what the world used to be in those times when you were judged by your skin tone and how you were born in general. We can see this to this day in some workplaces, albeit at a much smaller scale than before but yes, it does exist. I believe that this movie and this story should be an inspiration for all, that no matter how you were born, you can fight for what you want to be, and if you fight hard enough then you’ll be able to attain victory. In conclusion, we should all follow after these bright women’s footsteps and strive for greatness, though we may face many challenges across the way, we must face them with courage as to succeed and be able to come out on top.
This film is a very important monumental project in film. Because it represents these women who had been kept under raps from our history even though they were monumental to NASA.What I find most admirable about these women is that even in the face of adversity, and they not only survived, they thrived, and I consider them and people like them the true heroes of our country.
If I had a daughter I would like for her to emulate any of these women. Every single one of them is an inspiration to everyone, especially young African-american females who are interested in science , and even the ones who don’t , because the film isn’t just about that. The film evidence that standing brave in the face of adversity, even if it’s just one or three people can change people’s perspectives and slowly ,maybe even the world,
I think that the movie is explaining some problems we don’t seem to get, and to imagine how bad they were at that time, which wasn’t that long ago either. This women fought for their rights, even though it wasn’t easy they never gave up, and by just doing their job they made history. I would consider all of them heroes, because they confronted their bosses, but never with violence. All they wanted to do was to help, they were good at their job and wanted to use that to help NASA. If I had a daughter, I wouldn’t want to push her to being like some women who did something like this, I would love for her to accomplish her dreams no matter how big or small they are.
These three woman not everyone and almost nobody in this generation knows them. They do so much and put up their knowledge to get so much success on the missions at NASA. Although they were black woman’s they have a great mind set and a goal to achieve. These are a great example of been a success person with all against you by your skin shape, they were woman’s and was a high racism present on that time of the 60’s.
This women were very brave because they didn’t give up. They were living in a society that was very hard for the women to live in. And they fought for their rights. Because every person should have the sames rights. I consider that the most admirable about them is their perseverance. They didn’t care if people was against their actions. Because they were just fighting for their rights.
if I had to pick one of this women to for my daughter to emulate it would be Margot Lee Shetterly. Because she had the had the attitude of a strong woman who doesn’t give up and she faced the difficulties in her path. Thanks to that she got the opportunity to study in a prestigious school. She was a very strong woman and I really like if my daughter could emulate her.
Did you learn anything valuable inside the movie Hidden Figures? Of course, i learned so much from the movie specifically I learned that you should believe in yourself no matter what. The fact that they were colored and women did not stop them from showing their true potential. Instead they choose to be the first, the wisest and the lider. Standing up with everything they got, and some may think that they have little but they DON’T they have a lovely family, food on their table, a job, and a hole world to prove wrong. So i certainly see them as some good good figures/ role models.
The film Hidden Figures was a lot about the racism that existed in the old days. I really liked the movie a lot. It was my first time seeing the movie and I was really surprised with the movie. I loved how Katherine was an in love with math and how everybody underestimated her because she was a woman and she was black, but in reality she kicked ass. I also liked all Mary’s sass and how she defended what she thought was right and didn’t let anybody stand in her way.
The thing that I find most admirable about them is that they fight to what they believe in and they go for what they want. In the movie, the people discriminated them because of the color of there skin, they didn’t see the intelligence or the talent they had in them. The color of your skin doesn’t define you as a person, we are all equal human beings. They could be seen as heroes, idols to people including myself. I see them as heroes because they didn’t care what the other people thought about them or what they told them what couldn’t do just because they were woman, they went and took a go for it and succeeded. If I had a daughter, it would be any of them because like what Martin Luther King said ” We must accept finite disappointment, but never loose infinite hope”
These women are indeed very admirable. They fought for what they wanted and what they thought was right. They were very brave because they went against what was thought to be right at that moment by society.
I do consider them heroes since they broke the rules and fought for equality. They gave others the opportunity to achieve their dreams. If I had a daughter I would be pleased if she emulated any of these women because they were all smart, independent and brave.
I love the movie Hidden Figures. It tells a story very hard to believe. Especially, it gives you an idea of the constantly battle the colored people, mostly the women, had to face. I admired them a lot, because not a lot of people have the courage to fight for what they want. Also, another thing I admired about these girl is that they didn’t use violence to fight for their rights and make a point.
There is no question that these women are heroes. They opened lot of doors for other colored women. Also, they accomplished a lot of things, like getting Americans into space or even the moon. Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan and Katherine Johnson, along with other women, made history. If I had a daughter, I would like her to emulate any of these powerful women. If she becomes a woman with the courage and determination of any of this women, I would be very proud and satisfied.
What I found most admirable about the is that they went out in a society in the worst time in america ( by that meaning there was a lot of racism and sexism ) and made themselves be known and they fought and made sacrifices and worked really hard. In my world and in my opinion these women are to be considered heroes in the women and black community. If I have a daughter I would like her to emulate and take inspiration from all of them, to fight for what she believes in and to fight for her education and future for the better, not only that but show off what you’re good at and make yourself be known just like those women who are greatly admired.
I admire these women in their position of being recognized for their great work despite being dark skinned and being excluded for that reason. They did not allow them to feel less because they knew of the great capacity they possessed. They are a great example for other women who can get better in life. Differences in people does not affect their ability to work or make them less important, and this is what they showed us. Thanks to their work and effort the blacks took a great step forward in society.
If I had a daughter, I would like her not to select one of them as an example. Because I just can not choose, all three were extremely important and exemplary. I would tell her to take all of them as an example. Katherine for her great ability in mathematics and responsibility. That she don’t hesitate to share her knowledge for the great mission. Dorothy to work as a leader and not to leave her team behind, but to overcome her with all of them. And finally to Mary for fighting to be the first black woman to study at a university of white people. She exceeded herself as an excellent engineer.
The most thing I admire is that they don’t give up, even though they was humiliated. Yes the three of them was heroes. Specially the most intelligent Katherine Johnson. I would like to have a daughter like Katherine because she fight for her rights, and break barriers. Also they had a colored room for making computational math exercise.
This women make history. Breaking expectations that the woman is inferior than men. Also they are very brave to confront their bosses/supervisors. This movie make me feel proud that racism is decreasing. We are breaking expectations, we have to break the racism to the Latinos.
I first watched the movie with my mother around the period it was still in theaters. I was first interested in it because I wanted to see the Octavia Spencer’s (playing the role of Dorothy Vaughan) performance considering I loved her previous performance in 2011’s ‘The Help’. Another reason I wanted to see the film was because I seriously consider my future to be involved with science, so why not watch a movie about the all too famous space race?
After coming out of the theater and re-watching it every time I saw it around on TV I’ve come to realize that these women’s work paved a way for not only black women, but for women in general. It is surprisingly easy to find the theme of racism prevalent in the film but one only has to give it a second glance to find the sub-theme of sexism (in and out of the workplace) all around the theme. If (great emphasis on ‘if’) I have children one day, I’d surely love for them to emulate the teachings about discrimination this film points at. Notice how I said ‘children’ and not only ‘daughter’. Not only are the women presented on the film a great source of inspiration and an example of heroism for little girls, but I believe the same can be applied to the little boys.
Like in the movie evrything was segregate. I found more admirable the courage and bravery that these woman should have. The time of their succes was a dificult one. Every one of them was exeptionally in his own way. Everyone of them mold the laws of society to acomplish beautiful things across their carrers.
I consider them heroes of a society. Heroes of examples of succes and examples of better yourselves. A hero is someone who has heart and dosen’t have a problem to being them. Their are heroes that dosen’t think only about themselves , the impact was for all the society. I would love to have someone like Mary Jackson a women who has his one mind. She is a women like no one would control.
I admire the determination and bravery these three women showed when they were confronted by the laws of segregation. There wasn’t a single moment where they doubted themselves even if things didn’t go their way. Having to keep their heads up when everyone thought of them as inferior beings is a very difficult thing and even impossible at that time. These women did the impossible and showed the world that a women can do whatever they proposed to do, even if their skin color is black. It is because of this that they should be considered as national heroes, for doing the impossible.
If I had a daughter, I would like her to be like Katherine Johnson when she grows up. I would like her to have a brilliant mind that doesn’t compare to the average IQ of her age. To be able to analyze everything instantly and be capable of doing the unthinkable. This could be our chance to leave a mark in the world and be remembered as the first one to make the impossible. A brilliant mind has a potential with no limits, so that would be my greatest masterpiece.
I really liked the movie because I like watching old movie and more if its was based in real life. Maybe I would pick Katherine Johnson for the thing that she did for the nasa al though she had a lot of problems for the segregation like for example the bathroom because she needed to walk a lot to get to her bathroom she didn’t give up. I really liked when she told why she was late because she didn’t have a bathroom for her. And all the calculation’s that she needed to do all thought she was very good on it. I really admire a lot the brave they were after all the segregation they didn’t a lot and won a lot.
I would consider them more than hero’s because they are very brave and take all the risk and made a lot. Maybe Katherine because she is very intelligent and made a men to go to the moon and back. This movie is very nice to watch because you see all the fight they did. And if I my daughter hade one of her habilites I would be proud. Because each women did something that change the world.
I admire these women that confronted all the problems that were happening in their time, like the segregation because of being black. I admire the intelligence of these black women and what they made for the country. Of course, I would consider them heroes because they bravely take the initiative of being the first to become what they are and for making the world better.
If I had a daughter, I would like to her to emulate Katherine Johnson, because in the movie, she was the first to work with white people; she was segregated by the white people in that room and in everywhere else; she confronted them when she explain to them that there wasn’t a bathroom for her, for black people; she show them that she was the real genius in that room; she checked the friendship 7 numbers because the machine IBM, was wrong; and she worked to be mom and dad, at the same time, before Jim Johnson came to her life. We all have to admire these beautiful and intelligent women that make those man go to the space.
These three women’s are an example in life. These women[‘s chose a life of prosperity and success. Instead of complaining for being black and also women’s they made their way into NASA and make themselves pretty important in there. They were essential in the project to get to space and eventually going to the moon and i don’t think they would have get there if it wasn’t for those three women. So yes i do see them as heroes.
I hope my daughter would look up to the one that was an engineer. She was a brilliant mind but also a fighter and a warrior. She was the first black women to get in a school for a white man in her state and made herself important in NASA. I hop my daughter would be that kind of women someone that fight for what she wants to and let anyone get in her way.
The most admirable thing I find about them is that they did not surrender and went on their way to achieve their dreams. I like that they have followed their dreams, regardless of the things that happened in their places of work. They are more than heroes that demonstrate that dreams can be achieved even though they find many obstacles. They were womens who changed all kinds of stereotypes and changed the thinking of many people.
If I had a daughter I would like her to have a bit of trew, because they are more than geniuses who contributed their bit in many missions and advances.I would like it to be a person who fights for his dreams like these fantastic womens who marked his life with many achievements. Everything that these three distinguishable women managed to achieve was very admirable
In the film of Hidden Figures I cant choose who to admire the most. All of those 3 powerful woman did an awesome job fighting to be equal as the white people. For that I admire in all of theme the strength and the courage they had to stand up and say that we are all equal. In the movie the part when she had to run to the other building just to go to the bathroom, I admire when she stood up and literal screamed that the reason she was missing for 40 minutes is because there was no colored bathroom in her area. Also I admire the one that went to school with all the wite men and she accomplished her dream of becoming an engineer. But I think that the one that stands out between the 3 of them is Katherine because she was living a constant discrimination in her work area.
I think that they could be heroes because they show us the value of each person without looking that I’m colored and you are white. I also think that they, today, have been an inspiration for all that black woman that got discriminated in the past and that they shouldn’t be hiding because we are all equal.
Excellent comment, Helena. I’m glad you mentioned the “boys.” They also need role models for inspiration. Men and women need to work as equals in all fields. Gender shouldn’t be a ‘factor in the equation.’ Interesting to note that you want to pursue a career in science. Good for you! We need more females in science and engineering.
I totally agree with you, Stephanie. All three women combined into one would make an excellent role model for many people, both female and males alike.
We need to know more about people like these outstanding women, Alanis. These are the kinds of stories that are necessary for children to follow. Positive traits should be stressed. It’s a shame that the negative ones are those that most often come out in the news.
Sofía, it’s surprising to know that these black women played such an important role in the space race. Who would have thought? Just goes to show that intelligence, talent, ability and other traits have no color!
Gabriela, I loved the idea of their independence even though they were married! You’ve got to admire the men in their lives. Right?
Strong women they were indeed! No doubt about it, Alondra. They respectfully fought for their rights.
I liked that they were shown as women who loved and were appreciated by their families. They were women of strength and faith. I’m pleased you learned something from the film, Laura.
The important thing is for a young woman (or man) to follow her dreams. Like you say, Tiara, no matter how big or small that dream may be.
‘Thrive’ is a an excellent choice of words, Fabiola. I believe that strong, positive family values had a lot to do with this.
This women are to be admirable because of their bravery and work in the NASA. Also they have to be admire because they lived in a society where the negros didn’t have any rights and were paid less for the same work ass a white person did. This women are heroes because of their work cause they encounter a society also, they helped a man get to space and that is something that not many people can do. If I a daughter I would like for her to have a little bit of the three of them because the three of them encounter different situations in their life and that is something that we all should admire.
It’s incredible, Kevin, but true. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! That’s what these women were all about. And in a time when the odds were stacked against them, it was inspiring how they overcame the obstacles.