Page 107 - BBC History The Story of Science & Technology - 2017 UK

Dorothy Vaughan
and Leslie Hunter
(seen in 1950), two
of the female
mathematicians
hired as ‘human
computers’ on the
space programme

Mary Jackson began her
career in 1951, an era in
which female engineers
were rare. She contin-
ued to work at Nasa until Hidden Figures (above) dramatises the Nasa careers of (l-r)
retirement in 1985 Dorothy Vaughan (actor Octavia Spencer), Katherine
Johnson (Taraji Henson) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)

women working at Nasa were largely middle What was the workplace at Nasa like interested?” But although they loved the
class and educated, so even within the black for these African-American women? work, they did know that they didn’t get the
community these college-educated women As well as an aeronautical laboratory, Nasa accolades they deserved. They recognise the
were outliers. They were generally expected really was a weird social laboratory at this power of their stories to inspire younger
to go into teaching, which was a prestigious time. On the one hand, they had a segregated women and feel proud about that.
job at the time, but it didn’t pay very well. office with a ‘colored bathroom’ and a
Working as professional mathematicians, ‘colored cafeteria’. But on the other hand, Can we see the legacy of these women
they could make two or three times more Nasa was more progressive than many other and their achievements today?
than as teachers. aircraft or commercial agencies at the time. Absolutely. All you have to do is look at
They employed more women and African- Nasa’s astronaut corps, which is very diverse.
Considering the social situation in Americans and these employees had access The head of Nasa is a black man, and the
the United States at the time, how to some very high-level work. second in command is a woman. Women
did these women manage to get jobs Many of the engineers at Nasa came from hold a lot of leading roles at Nasa. We’re still
at Nasa? the north or west of the US [where racial having discussions about how to get more
During the Second World War, the demand divisions were less pronounced] or abroad women and African-Americans into STEM
for aircraft exploded, while at the same time, – from Germany, Britain and Italy. This fields [science, technology, engineering and
a lot of male mathematicians and engineers meant that many of the employees weren’t mathematics], so we need to be aware of
went off to fight. There was a real need for used to living under Jim Crow segregation these stories – there’s a lot they can teach us.
people who could do the maths, so Uncle [the repressive laws and customs used to I’m so glad that we are finally thanking
Sam put out the call. restrict black rights in the southern states these women for the work they did and the
At the same time, the civil rights leader from 1877 to the mid-1960s] and actively ways they transformed the American
A Philip Randolph (1889–1979) was opposed it. So Nasa was definitely a weird in- workplace. These jobs formed an amazing
pressuring the federal government to open between zone, a very unusual place. base for people in later years like my dad.
up war jobs to African-Americans, When he joined Nasa, he was able to stand
Mexicans, Poles and Jews – a lot of people You interviewed many of these on their shoulders. The work that these
who were being discriminated against women, including Katherine women did was transformative, not just for
during this period. Once that door had been Johnson. What were they like? them but for their communities, and their
opened, these women just walked through, They loved talking about the details of their children and grandchil-
and after the Second World War ended they work, and had a real passion for Nasa, dren as well.
basically resolved: “I’ll be damned if I’m despite all the difficulties. The women I
leaving this job.” spoke to really loved their jobs and the
This was a fascinating period in US people they worked with – Katherine
history – coming out of the Second World Johnson talked about her colleagues being Margot Lee Shetterly
War, there was a certain idealism that like brothers and sisters. (pictured) is the author of
pervaded the space race, the advance of They are also hugely humble and modest. Hidden Figures: The American
technology, the civil rights and women’s When they first heard that their story was Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women
rights movement – a belief in a better going to be told, through my book and the Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race,
GETTY America. Even as there was lot of conflict, film, their reactions were: “what’s the big which inspired the film of the same name. Ellie
deal, what’s the hoopla, why is everyone
Cawthorne is BBC History Magazine staff writer
there was also a lot of optimism.
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