Hidden Figures is a biographical drama film featuring black female mathematicians working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at a time of Space Race. The movie features Katherina Johnson, a female mathematician who was able to calculate the flight trajectories for Project Mercury as well as other missions (Melfi & Schroeder, 2017). The film describes the empowerment of African American women, who have been segregated by race and gender, showing that if offered opportunities, they can perform well at subjects considered for males such as mathematics, sciences, and engineering.
Hidden Figures follows the success of previous aviation projects, such as the launching of Yuri Gagarin. Katherine was assigned to help Al Harrisons’ group with a space task where she contributed her analytical geometry skills, becoming the first woman in the team. Katherine was demeaned and dismissed by the new colleagues, especially Paul Stafford, an engineer, who felt that women could not perform in engineering fields. Another woman, Mary, was assigned as the supervisor of the heat shield team after identifying a design flaw. However, Mary was informed by Mitchell that there was no plan of having a permanent supervisor for the colored groups, an indication of racism.
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At one time, Katherine met Lt. Col. Jim Johnson, a National Guard, but was disappointed due to the skeptical he showed about women with mathematical abilities, though he later apologized. Katherine was able to develop a solution to a complex mathematical equation after an invitation from Harrison, and it left him impressed. It made Harrison change his mind about colored people, by ensuring that Katherine was included in their meetings, and the sign on “colored bathrooms” was removed abolishing bathroom segregation (Melfi & Schroeder, 2017). The successes of black women are illustrated in the film; for instance, Mary won her court case and allowed to complete her degree in a white school, though at night. Later, Katherina reassigned after electronic computers replaced mathematicians, but she was awarded the 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Reference
Melfi, T., & Schroeder, A. (2017). Hidden figures . Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
