The Numbers Don T Lie

DiscussionGuideforHiddenFigures

ThemovieHiddenFigures,basedonthebookofthesamenamebyMargotLeeShetterly,isthetruestoryof threebrilliantAfrican-AmericanwomenatNASA:KatherineJohnson,DorothyVaughan,andMaryJackson. Themoviehighlightstheirintelligence,sisterhood,andperseverance,aswellastheracialandgender discrimination whichaffectedtheirlives.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Thestoryoftheblackwomenwhobecame“humancomputers,” mathematicians,andengineersforNASAisthetruestory behindthefilmHiddenFigures.Morethan50yearsago,they confrontedemployerswhohiredthemonlyreluctantly.They workedinasouthernstatethatwasdeterminedtooppose federalcivilrightslawsandtoholdontosegregation,andin anagewhenwomenweregenerallyencouragedtobecome housewives,nurses,teachers,orsecretaries.

Howtheypersisted,howtheyachievedtheirgoalsinspite ofthemanyobstaclesintheirpaths,howtheyconvinced otherswhodoubtedthemof theirvalueas employeesand even leaders—thesearethelessonsofHiddenFiguresthat areimportant forall studentstolearntoday. Together, thesewomenwereabletoaccomplishmorethantheyever couldhaveas individuals; theystrengthenedeachother’s determination,encouragedeachotherindarktimes, and workedtoassurethesuccessoftheirwholeteam.

Butthatwas halfacenturyago—ancient history. Aren’t things differenttoday?

Let’sstarttoanswerthisquestionbylookingatthestatisticsfor 2012fromtheUnitedStatesDepartmentofLabor (below): Whyistheresuchadifferencebetweeneachgroup’ssize inthetotalpopulationandits representationincomputing jobs?Howmanypossibleexplanationscanyouthinkof?Are these numberstheresultofpersonalchoices,discrimination inhiring,diverseeducationalexperiences,orsomethingelse? Howmuchchangehastherereallybeeninthepast50years?

Womenhold57%ofprofessionaljobsintheU.S.,butjust26%oftechnologyjobsand19%ofsoftwaredevelopment positions.Womenholdjust5%ofleadershippositionsintechnology.

BlackandHispanicpeoplemakeup30%oftheU.S.population(12%blackand18%Hispanic).

BlackandHispanicmenhold9%ofU.S.computingjobs.(Blackmenhold4%ofthesejobsandHispanicmenhold5%.) BlackandHispanicwomenhold4%ofU.S.computingjobs.(Blackwomenhold3%andHispanicwomenhold1%.)

Asyou thinkaboutcareerstoday,thinkabouttheeducation youareengagedinrightnow. Asastudent,haveyoubeen encouragedtopursue coursesinscience,technology, mathematics,andengineering?Howmanysuchcoursesare offeredatyourschool?Are thereafter-schoolactivitiesyou canjointhatwillincreaseyourabilitytousecomputersand solveproblems?Doyouhavesomerolemodelsormentors whocanhelpyoulearnaboutthesesubjects?

And whataboutthefuture?Whatwilljob prospectsbe like foryouasyougraduate?Willyoufindacareerthatnotonly supportsyoufinancially,butthatyoucanfeelpassionate about?Oneinwhichyoucantakepride?Nowisthetimeto startplanningthatfuture.Asyouconsideryourowngoals, thinkaboutyourown strengthsandthedeterminationyou havetoovercomeanyobstaclesyoumightface,andthen planapaththatwillreallyhelpyouachieve,justasKatherine, Dorothy,andMarydid.

Introduction to Hidden Figures

AsNASAbeginspreparationsforthefirstlandingofhumans onMarsinthe2030s,theexcitementandchallengeoftheearly yearsof mannedspaceexplorationwillonceagaincapture theworld’s imagination.Whatbettertimetore-examinethe earlyyearsofthespaceraceand,inparticular,theeffortsof thepeoplewhoseworkbehindthescenesmadethosefirst epicvoyagespossible?

In Hampton,Virginia,in1961,segregationstillruled, inspiteof courtordersandcivilrightsprotesters.Workplaces,andespecially workplacesinthesciences,weredominatedbymen.Butat LangleyResearchCenter,aremarkablegroupofwomen,the so-called“humancomputers,”weresolvingequations,calculating orbits,andlayingthegroundworkforthefirstsuccessfulflightsby theteamofastronautsknownastheMercury7.

KatherineJohnson(playedinthefilmbyTarajiP.Henson), MaryJackson(playedbyJanelle Monáe)andDorothy Vaughan(playedby OctaviaSpencer)were amongthose women.Asa girlgrowingupinWestVirginia,Johnsonhad beenpassionateabout mathematics;pulledfromthecomputer poolatLangley,she becamepartoftheteamthatcalculated thetrajectoriesforAlanShepardandJohnGlenn.Eventually sheworkedontheteamthataccomplishedthemoonlanding in1969.In2015shewasawardedthePresidentialMedal of Freedom forher33yearsofworkatNASA.

DorothyVaughn,agraduateofWilberforce University, spent28yearsatNASA.First hiredasa “humancomputer” tomakeupfortheshortageof manpowerduringWorld WarII,sheusedhermathematicsskillstoimprovethespeed andpowerof U.S.militaryaircraft.Whencomputerswere introduced,shelearnedFORTRANandbecameapioneer incomputerprogramming.

MaryJacksonalsobeganinthecomputerpool,andbecame NASA’sfirstblackfemaleengineerin1958,afterpersuadinga judgetoallowhertotaketrainingcoursesatanall-whitehigh school.Sheworkedformanyyearswritingandco-writing engineeringstudies;shethenbeganasecondcareeratNASA, becomingLangley’sFederalWomen’sProgramManagerin ordertoboostthecareersofotherwomeninscience,math, andengineering.

Thisfilmhelpstoensurethatthesebrilliantand hardworking women willnolongerbe“hiddenfigures.”