https://blackgirlnerds.com/hidden-figures-to-now-remembering-the-black-women-pioneers-of-nasa/

When Hidden Figures came out in 2016, it was a global success. The film grossed over $236 million worldwide and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Motion Picture of the Year, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

More than just a box office success, the movie played a crucial role in honoring women Black women scientists. Retelling the stories of Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Katherine Johnson helped inspire thousands of Black girls and women. 

Eight years later, it’s vital to continue acknowledging Black female scientists. 

Here is a look at the women Hidden Figures was based on and the women continuing their legacy. 

Remembering the Black Women Pioneers of NASA

Let’s begin by acknowledging the women who inspired the book and the movie Hidden Figures. 

Mary Jackson was a mathematician, an aerospace engineer, and the first Black woman to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Played by Janelle Monáe in the movie, Jackson was one of the few Black female engineers of her time. Known as the human “computer,” Jackson eventually rose from working in a segregated department to working for the famous aeronautics engineer Kazimierz Czarnecki. 

Another crucial character was Dorothy Vaughan, played by Octavia Spencer. She was NASA’s first African American manager as well as a mathematician. She was the head of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and the segregated West Area Computing Unit from 1949 until 1958.

Last is Katherine Johnson, played by Taraji P. Henson in the movie. Johnson was a mathematician who worked with NASA for over three decades. It was her calculations that helped analyze the flight paths of numerous spacecrafts. She helped astronauts travel to the moon. 

Because of these three ladies, the progress of Black female scientists, mathematicians, and engineers has advanced. Because of the women of the past, we can continue to celebrate Black success with even more women at NASA.

Current Groundbreaking Women of NASA

Although NASA was once a segregated institute, much has changed since those times. Now, NASA is dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion within their ranks. Here are some women who are no longer hidden figures but recognized and honored women of NASA.

Wendy Okolo 

Born in Nigeria, Dr. Wendy A. Okolo became an aerospace engineer and received her doctorate from the University of Texas. She was the first Black woman at the university to earn that degree.

Okolo is an award-winning engineer who has been honored and recognized for her research on technology development. Some of her awards include being the first female recipient of the NASA Ames Early Career Researcher Award, the NASA Ames Award for Researcher/Scientist, and a NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal.

Outside of NASA, she has also been honored with the Black Engineer of the Year Award for Most Promising Engineer in the U.S. Government.

Beyond research, Okolo works to ensure NASA’s commitment to women’s recruitment, retention, and promotion by working as a Special Emphasis Programs Manager for Women. 

Concha Reid

Concha Reid had a strong interest in math and science at a young age. She grew up on the Virgin Islands, where she experienced many power outages. Reid knew she could help solve her hometown’s electrical problems if she studied math and science. Although her school didn’t have advanced programs, her teachers and father mentored and supported her interests.

When she came to the United States to study engineering, she created a new life that consisted of building a strong family and a solid career.

Reid earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering, emphasizing power systems. She also met her husband during graduate school and took time off to have and raise three children.

However, her time away didn’t slow her down. When she returned to work, she began working at the Power Division at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. There, she worked with fuel cells and batteries. Yet, her career growth didn’t stop there. 

Her superiors encouraged her to join the leadership development program at NASA, where she worked with the European Service Module Integration Office. In this new position, she was responsible for exchanging and delivering spaceflight hardware between the European Space Agency (ESA), Lockheed Martin, and NASA. 

This was certainly a role that put a lot of responsibility and pressure on Reid’s shoulders, but she got the job done and made crucial contributions to the Artemis project, which will send the first woman and first person of color to the moon. 

Lyndsey McMillon-Brown

Lyndsey McMillon-Brown works at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, focusing on solar cells. These cells convert energy from light into electricity. 

Her work as a research electrical engineer focuses on making solar cells more affordable and efficient for use on Earth and in space. Solar cells would lessen the need to use fossil fuels for energy.

Constantly inspired by nature and books, McMillon-Brown and her team are developing a new type of solar cell using a lightweight and cost-effective material called Perovskite. Her research could revolutionize how we use energy on Earth and in space. 

Every day, these women are not only helping math and science progress, but they are helping to reshape the image of Black women and how powerful and influential they can become.