Hidden Figures: The Untold Story of the African American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly (Hardcover)

Description

“Hidden Figures: The Untold Story of the African American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race” is a nonfiction book written by Margot Lee Shetterly. The book, published in 2016, highlights the contributions of African American female mathematicians, scientists, and engineers who played crucial roles at NASA during the early years of the space program.

The narrative focuses on the lives and careers of several African American women, including Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. These women worked as “human computers,” performing complex mathematical calculations that were integral to the success of NASA’s space missions, including John Glenn’s historic orbital flight.

“Hidden Figures” sheds light on the challenges and discrimination these women faced in a racially segregated and male-dominated environment. Their dedication, intelligence, and perseverance played a vital role in breaking down barriers and reshaping the space industry.

The book gained widespread acclaim for bringing attention to the often-overlooked contributions of these remarkable women and for highlighting the broader issues of race and gender in the history of science and technology. It was adapted into a successful film of the same name in 2016, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe. The story of the “hidden figures” has become an important part of the history of space exploration and the civil rights movement in the United States.