Film Screening: Hidden Figures with book author Margot Shetterly

Please join us for an exciting event in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Come learn about the women mathematicians and engineers who helped make this crowning achievement possible. Hear from the author of the Hidden Figures book, Margot Shetterly, followed by a screening of the movie.

The stories of women of color working at NASA during the space race were exemplified by the portrayal of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dr. Christine Darden in the popular 2016 book, entitled Hidden Figures, and subsequent movie adaptation. Black women working at NASA during this time were subjected to segregated bathrooms, dining facilities, and water fountains. In addition, all women mathematicians working at NACA and NASA during this period were required to submit their calculations anonymously, were largely restricted to lower-paying sub-professional positions, and had limited opportunities for career advancement when compared with their male counterparts.

Despite these challenges, the women computers, mathematicians, and engineers of NACA and NASA persevered to make significant contributions to aircraft testing and design during World War II, supersonic flight research, and what is arguably the nation’s greatest technological achievement to date – safely landing the first man on the moon.

We hope you will join us for this exciting event.