NASA’s ‘Hidden Figures’ Celebrated with Congressional Gold Medal Honors

On September 18, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—collectively known as the “Hidden Figures”—were honored with Congressional Gold Medals during a ceremony on Capitol Hill. These pioneering African American women mathematicians and engineers made significant contributions to NASA between the 1930s and 1970s, including calculating rocket trajectories and orbital mechanics that were crucial to America’s early space missions and moon landings. Christine Darden was also recognized for her exceptional work as an aeronautical engineer.

House Speaker Mike Johnson praised their achievements, stating, “At a time in America when our nation was divided by color and often by gender, these women dared to step into the fields where they had previously been unwelcome.” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson highlighted the importance of their legacy, noting that future missions, such as the Artemis program’s first woman landing on the moon, will follow the trail they blazed.

Medals were presented to the families of the four women, along with an additional medal symbolizing all unrecognized contributors to NASA during that era. The 2016 film “Hidden Figures,” starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, was based on their inspiring story as detailed in Margot Lee Shetterly’s nonfiction book.

Source: BET
Video Source: TIME Magazine Via YouTube