I wonder what people learn watching Africa Magic. I learn a lot watching movies with true story lines, movies with depth – ones that inspire and enlighten. ‘Hidden Figures’ is one such movie. It is an inspiring film based on the true story of three African-American women working for NASA. It illustrates the determination and perseverance needed to overcome racist and misogynistic attitudes. Hidden Figures highlights the extensive struggles that Katherine, Dorothy and Mary face in a world where inequality is the norm. Through their continued achievements and refusal to give up, the three women prove that integrity, perseverance and teamwork can triumph.
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at Mathematics – eally good. They participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America’s first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black, and feminine, limited what they could do. The three women played a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn’s launch into orbit in 1962. In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Katherine Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor – 53 years after her huge contribution to NASA’s achievements. And in 2016, the NASA Langley facility at which she worked renamed a building in her honor: the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility.
Perseverance and persistence will get you there – anywhere you want to go! Don’t give up, no matter the opposition and limitation, keep going and you’ll eventually get there. I’ll see you when you get there. We’ll all get there, BGG, if we faint not.
SHALOM!
DA