![]() ![]() ![]() Henson portrays Katherine Johnson in Hidden Figures. When Katherine Johnson asked to be present in an important meeting regarding the space program, Paul Stafford (a fictional character designed to embody the racist attitudes held by many Americans at the time) responds that "there's no protocol for women attending." The film highlights NASA’s relative tolerance for the time, seemingly out of necessity more than anything. People from all walks of life come together at NASA, all highly intelligent and ready to work hard, all with the shared goal of winning the space race. We Are Stronger TogetherĪ common theme throughout Hidden Figures is the conclusion that we are stronger together. Or simply watch it for yourself, so you can fully appreciate a kind of story that has been underrepresented in our history books In the meantime, and in honor of Black History Month, here are 6 lessons we can learn from Hidden Figures: 1. I simply cannot recommend this movie to you enough dear readers! Play it in school for your students. Three amazing women Katherine Johnson (1918-2020), Mary Jackson (1921-2005) and Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008), were indeed instrumental to NASA’s success in the 20th century and their story, as told in Hidden Figures, hopes to bring them out of the shadows. ![]() In other words, this movie isn’t a product of Hollywood’s wishful thinking. Henson) and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) in Hidden Figures. Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. It’s an amazing story but the idea that it was actually true was mind-blowing.” Pharrell Williams, who co-produced the movie, noted that the story of these women has "been around for at least 50 years. Hidden Figures.Īn incredible movie based on a book by the same name, Hidden Figures follows the stories of three African American women whose work at NASA was instrumental to the success of the space race.ĭid you know that Black women worked at NASA during the space race? From 1943 there was a whole department of Black women working as human computers, responsible for performing complex calculations for the space program. Ultimately, poor representation in the field is not down to a lack of incredible Black people making waves in the industry, but rather due to a climate that chooses to hide them in the background. When Black students are unable to see themselves reflected in key STEM roles, they are subconsciously told that those spaces are not there for them and are thus more likely to be disengaged from learning those subjects at school.īut the fact is, STEM is for everybody. Improving representation in STEM industries. We, therefore, need to galvanize young Black students into studying STEM subjects at school, help them find their passion for those subjects and so that they may then, hopefully, go on to improve diversity in the STEM workforce. When Black students are unable to see themselves reflected in key STEM roles, they are subconsciously told that those spaces are not there for them. The same study by the Pew Research Center suggests that “one potential barrier for those wishing to enter the STEM workforce is the generally higher level of educational attainment required for such positions,” suggesting the drawback for many ethnic minorities starts in their school years. It’s a multifaceted challenge deeply rooted in many different societal issues. So, the question must be: how do we change that? According to the Pew Research Center, just 9% of STEM workers in the U.S are Black. And, sadly, because STEM occupations continue to be shrouded in inequality. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “the only thing that is more expensive than education is ignorance.”Ģ. Because education is fundamental to enacting change within our society. ![]() president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month: a time when the nation pauses to reflect and honor the achievements and sacrifices of African Americans and their contributions to US history.īHM’s aims are particularly relevant within our field of STEM education.ġ. ![]()
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