For decades until the publication of margot lee

culminating in the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.
For decades, until the publication of Margot Lee Shetterly’s
book Hidden Figures , the story of Johnson, Vaughan, and
Jackson, NASA’s so-called “human computers,” went untold.
But when their story crossed my path—a story that blurs
gender, race, and professional lines—I knew this was a part
of history that had to be told. Fifty-five years later, Hidden
Figures is a rich and moving true story that deserves a spot in
our collective consciousness.
The backdrop for the movie is one of the most defining,
complex periods in American history: the high-stakes Cold
War, the space race, the Jim Crow South and the birth of the
civil rights movement. Exploring these historic events serves
as a reminder that we must learn from our past experiences
while continuing to catapult ourselves forward.
It was also important for me, as a son raised by a single mother
and as the father of two daughters, to explore the importance
of STEM as a compelling and viable career choice for young
girls. The media, cinema, and other public discourse often
do society a disservice by not presenting strong, independent
women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and
math on a regular basis. Drawing attention to these figures,
often hidden in plain sight, will hopefully help to chart a new
course for female students and change the composition of
these vital industries.
At its core, Hidden Figures is the story of three remarkable
women who overcame every obstacle stacked against them,
despite gender, race, and the political landscape of the time.
Illuminating this universal experience for the next generation
was critical. My goal was to showcase how skill and
knowledge are equalizers, how hard work and determination
are the cornerstones to every pursuit, and how uniting under
a common goal is more powerful than staying divided.
Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson were pioneers who broke
down commonly held perceptions and achieved something
phenomenal. Their legacy of persistence serves to empower
people of all circumstances and teaches us, as NASA points
out in its webpage on Katherine Johnson,
• To love learning.
• To follow your passion.
• To accept the help you’re given, and help others when
you can.
• To follow new leads and don’t give up. Keep trying.
• To go beyond the task at hand; ask questions; be
inquisitive. Let yourself be heard.
• To do what you love, and love what you do.
I hope that through the exploration of Hidden Figures —and
your own passions—you, too, will achieve the seemingly
impossible.
Theodore Melfi
Director, Hidden Figures

Journeys in Film : Hidden Figures
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Their story is also the story of the world in which they lived
and worked—the racism and segregation that made their lives
more difficult; the beginnings of the civil rights movement in
the South; the Cold War with Russia that gave such impetus
to the drive for superiority in space; and the space race itself.