Hidden Figures is the story of three black women — bona fide geniuses in the fields of mathematics, physics, and engineering — who were instrumental in the 1960s-era Space Race. The stories of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson unfolded during a time when few understood — let alone believed — that black women could help put the first American in space, in large part because Jim Crow — and not ability — often stood in the way of black Americans’ quest to make history. Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary’s time at NASA broke racial and gender barriers for black women with a talent for science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM. Hidden from the world for far too long, these women’s stories are hidden no more.
Yet this story lays bare a persevering disparity: The number of black women who study STEM is, still, far from where it should be, a grim reality reflected in the paltry number of black women with advanced degrees in STEM fields. As a result, the United States has, in recent years, doubled down on its commitment to ensure that historically underrepresented students — people like Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary — have the chance to study and succeed in STEM.
[For more of this story, written by Manuela Ekowo, go to https://psmag.com/how-hidden-f...e9e7b432e#.fcguy9jd6]
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