Additional Coverage:
- ‘Hidden Figures’ honored with Congressional Gold Medals (newsbreak.com)
Four trailblazing African American women were honored with Congressional Gold Medals at the U.S. Capitol for their contributions to NASA’s early space exploration efforts.
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Christine Darden were celebrated for their work as computers, mathematicians, and engineers. They performed complex calculations to enable supersonic flight and space travel.
Despite facing racism and sexism, these women persevered. House Speaker Mike Johnson called them "giants" whose contributions paved the way for astronauts.
Only Darden is still living, and her family accepted her medal. A fifth medal was awarded to all women who worked as computers, mathematicians, and engineers at NASA and its predecessor from the 1930s to the 1970s. NASA’s Andrea Mosie received this medal on their behalf.
The women’s stories were highlighted in the book and movie "Hidden Figures," which earned critical acclaim and raised awareness of their contributions.
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- ‘Hidden Figures’ honored with Congressional Gold Medals (newsbreak.com)