The work of these four Black women mathemiticians and engineers helped put men on the moon and advance space exploration. They were celebrated on Capitol Hill for their historic contributions.
A group of Black women, crucial to NASA’s achievements during the space race and famously known as the “Hidden Figures,” were honored with a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony on Capitol Hill.
These trailblazing mathematicians and engineers considered essential to NASA’s work from 1930 to 1970, helped launch America into space by calculating rocket trajectories and orbits that put men on the moon, all while facing the dual barriers of racism and sexism.
On September 18, they were recognized for the pivtoal roles they played and awarded Congressional Gold Medals, which is the highest civilian honor in the United States. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson were honored posthumously, while Christine Darden, the fourth “Hidden Figure,” was recognized for her contributions as an aeronautical engineer, according to NASA.
“This has been a long time coming,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson during the ceremony. This sentiment echoed through the room as these remarkable women were honored for their contributions, which helped lay the foundation for America’s success in space exploration…