Hidden Figures is a film about three Black American women (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson) who were the mastermind mathematicians behind the NASA space operation of putting Astronaut John Glenn into orbit, placing America at number one in the space race against Russia. FIlm critics describe Hidden Figures as a movie that speaks to the power that all women are just as capable, if not more capable, as men in the STEM field. This proves to be true. Women are a force to be reckoned with, and are one of the reasons why most major companies don’t fall to their knees.
However, I know that this film alludes to the more evident message that Black women were and are currently underrated in the science and technology related fields. Katherine Johnson was responsible for the calculations for John Glenn’s orbit around earth, as well as the calculations for the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first two Humans on the moon, and the Apollo 13 mission, which attempted to land the third human on the moon. Dorothy Vaughn learned the parameters of the IBM computation machine and taught them to her Black, Female Collegues, who would have been replaced by the machine. Mary Jackson improved the heat shield of John Glenn’s space capsule, which pushed her to pursue a degree in engineering. In the film, the women’s ability to work as mathematicians at NASA is constantly challenged by Mockery, Isolation, and Discrimination, depicting the lives of Black Women during times of segregation. These challenges, however, had been overcome by the hardwork and resilience of the women, ultimately changing the hearts of the their white colleagues.
In my own experience, I have been underestimated about my ability to perform in the field of Pharmaceutical Research (essentially a healthcare professional told me that I need to seek other options because research might be too hard for me.) It has further fueled my desire to pursue my degree, and be another example in history that Black Women are unstoppable trailblazers. Black Women’s genius is spread all across the spectrum; from Engineering, to Computer System Analysis, Investigative Journalism, Medicine, and beyond. So, don’t let Black History Month be the only time of year that you appreciate the creations and contributions of Black Women, because we make a positive impact on the world year-round. Certainly, Hidden Figures is the evidence that Black Girls and Black Women are magic.