Based on a true story, Hidden Figures, a movie set in the 1960s, follows female African American mathematicians and their important roles in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. During this time, the United States is racing against Russia to launch an American astronaut into orbit and bring him back home safely. The film focuses on the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, three integral figures behind this monumental operation. In their work within NASA, these women challenge racial and gendered beliefs and values that are constantly projected onto them. For this blog, I will be focusing mainly on Katherine Johnson and her contributions to not only American space advancement, but her defiance towards race and gender based biases.
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‘Hidden Figures’ & Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: American Heroes with American Dreams
Hidden Figures: Race and Gender Roles 