Hidden Figures

Story

This is the incredible story of three African American women who were vital to the development of space travel from 1930s to 1960s. It follows the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson who all worked for NASA as Human Computers. They struggled with sexism and racism and they were segregated from their colleagues based on their sex and race. All three women overcome huge obstacles by studying and persistence to achieve their dreams.

Why we chose it

The story of three black women whose contribution to the space race was largely unknown. There were many more black women who worked on the space programme and the story doesn’t just celebrate the brilliance of individuals but recognises a community of women and their families who encountered segregation and racism daily and whose contribution, intelligence, brilliance went largely unrecognised.

Where it came from

The film is loosely based on a biographical book by Margot Lee Shetterly called Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race. It is a true story of the three African American women who were instrumental in the American Space Race from 1930s to 1960s.

Where it went next

This film was very well received and was nominated for three Academy Awards. Altogether it was nominated for 71 awards, of which it won 28.

After the film was released many charities saw it as a great film to promote interest in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and organised free screenings of the film.