Four African American women mathematicians, engineers and researchers known as “Hidden Figures” have been honored with Congressional Gold Medals.
The women worked at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia in the 1950s.
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and Dr. Christine Darden will receive the nation’s highest civilian award for their contributions to the success of the space program as part of the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act.
[Johnson and Jackson are pictured above]
President Trump signed the act into law on Friday, Nov. 8, after it was introduced by Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
“We are thrilled that these four trailblazers are being recognized with this honor,” the senators said in a joint statement on Kaine’s website. “Their engineering and calculations were essential to our nation’s success in the Space Race, but for too long, they didn’t receive the acknowledgment they deserve.”
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Vaughan and Jackson passed away and are being honored posthumously. A fifth gold medal will recognize all women who contributed to NASA during the Space Race.
Johnson, Jackson, and Vaughan were featured in the book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, by Margot Lee Shetterly.
The book was a hit and reached No. 1 on The New York Times Non-Fiction Best Sellers list and was awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Nonfiction in 2017.
It was adapted into a 2016 feature film starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Mahershala Ali, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, and Jim Parsons.
Directed by Theodore Melfi, the film received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer.
It earned $236 million at the worldwide worldwide, including $170 million in North America, according to Box Office Mojo.
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