Hidden Figures: Women Power!

The women who helped shaped NASA are finally getting acknowledged for their accomplishments. The movie "Hidden Figures" tells the untold story of the three African- American women- Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson who exceeded gender, race, and professional boundaries with their brilliance and made history. I am not going to lie. I am not a movie person, but when this movie came out, I had to see it. This movie made me leave the movie theater completely inspired.

The film, directed by Theodore Melfi and based off of the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, was released in theaters on December 25, 2016. "Hidden Figures" details the story behind the African American women who made it possible for NASA to shuttle men to the moon and back. The actresses who played these women are Taraji P. Henson who played Katherine Johnson, Octavia Spencer who played Dorothy Vaughan, and Janelle Monáe who played Mary Jackson. NASA would not been been able to beat the Russians in the International Space Race of the 1950's and 1960's without the help of these women.

All three female leads portrayed strong and intelligent African American women struggling to bypass the hardships that happened to them due to discrimination by the white and male populations of the United States during this time of deep struggle in the United States. The film is set in 1961, a few years prior to the Civil Rights Act that outlawed segregation and discrimination based on race and gender. The film shows the brave steps taken to break barriers, well before national steps were taken. These women start at NASA as "human calculators" and then are promoted to different departments. Katherine Johnson loves mathematics and is self aware and confident in her abilities. However, she is unaware that the director of the space program Al Morrison might take notice of her talents. Johnson's knowledge helps Astronaut John Glenn circle the Earth's orbit. She does not fight alone. She has two other confidants on whom she relies for support while working at NASA.

Mary Jackson is the sassy engineer who believes in speaking her mind and getting the job done. She is unafraid to challenge the system to achieve a higher education. The training she needs to become an engineer is taught at a whites-only school. Mary builds up the courage to take on the Virginia legislature to attend night classes. Also, there is Dorothy Vaughan, the patient mentor to these ladies. She has made herself important by learning the ins and outs of the IBM programming math machine at NASA. She is the reason the machine is in working order and continues to function. Through her knowledge, she can train others and supervise.

I enjoyed this film a lot because these women are smart, brave and independent. Director Theodore Melfi does an amazing job with telling a story that is much more than historical drama. Everyone in America should know about these brilliant women. They did not ask for recognition but deserve to be acknowledged because their knowledge mattered and changed the world.

I highly recommended this film, especially for women. I left the theater feeling so empowered, as if I could do anything that I put my mind to because I am a female. "Hidden Figures" had just the right amount of humor, showing off the stereotypical Southern African- American woman's fierce personality. It also showed the importance of family and love in the lives of these three women. By the end of the film, you feel just as though you know these women and have experienced the struggles with them. If you are looking for something to watch, definitely watch "Hidden Figures"!