I grew up in Houston, known as Space City, so it's obvious that I have an inkling for space. I always wanted to be an astronaut and work for NASA, and when they ended the space shuttle program in 2011, it's safe to say I was heartbroken.
Ever since I was a little girl, and we would have career day in kindergarten, I would always tell everyone about my dreams of working for NASA and what I wouldn't give to go to the moon.
When Hidden Figures was first announced, I was ecstatic, because I learned about Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson every year when we did our space unit in science class.
They were fearless black women who worked at NASA during the race for space. Katherine was a mathematician for the Flight Research Division and later the Space Task Group in 1958, Mary was an aeronautical engineer, and Dorothy Vaughan was a supervisor for the Analysis and Computation Division (ACD). They broke barriers for all women in the science industry, proving that women, especially black women, could prevail even in times such as the segregated 1960s.
Katherine Johnson, specifically, was my idol. I've always been obsessed with math, and although I wanted to be an astronaut, I always thought a mathematician was much more practical. Watching this movie brought me back to my childhood roots when I wanted nothing more than to be in the highest clearance level at NASA.
But I realized, outside of Houston, where learning about the history of NASA was part of our school curriculum, virtually no one knew who they were. When this movie was announced, I was excited because people would finally be able to actually know about some of the women I see as heroes.
The movie also proves that just because you're a woman, or black, or both, doesn't mean you can't accomplish what you want out of life. In light of segregation and blatant sexism, these women persevered and accomplished their goals. They put a man on the moon. I'm not sure if it gets any better than that.
I hope that the little girls who go see this movie realize their potential. I hope they comprehend just how important they can grow up to be. NASA wouldn't be operating today if not for these three women. They're now deemed national heroes, and I couldn't be happier that the American people are finally learning about the women I looked up to most.
I want women of all ages to find themselves in Katherine, or Dorothy, or Mary, and realize that if those women can accomplish their biggest dreams, so can they.
