Four Black women who worked as scientists and mathematicians at NASA during the Space Race, known colloquially as “Hidden Figures,” were awarded Congressional Gold Medals on Wednesday for their instrumental role in the space program.
Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan and Christine Darden were awarded the medals, the highest civilian honor granted by Congress.
The four subjects of Margot Lee Shetterly’s 2016 book, “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race,” made advancements in their fields despite intense segregation and racial inequalities within the workplace.
“The pioneers we honor today, these Hidden Figures — their courage and imagination brought us to the Moon. And their lessons, their legacy, will send us back to the Moon,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a ceremony at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia. "Awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal honors their lives and work and ensures that they will continue to inspire Americans for years to come."
Johnson was instrumental in John Glenn's first orbit of the Earth. The legendary astronaut asked that Johnson check the calculations personally, as he did not trust the computer's work. When she gave the green-light, he agreed to take on the flight.
Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson were awarded the medals posthumously, while Darden watched from home as family members of the four trailblazers accepted the honor. The recognition comes years after Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, now deceased, introduced a bill to honor the pioneers in 2019.
Also honored at the ceremony on Wednesday were all women who served as mathematicians, and engineers for NASA from the 1930s and the 1970s. Their award accepted by Andrea Mosie, a senior lab manager for NASA’s Apollo samples.
