The Hidden Figures Movie: An Analysis

Hidden Figures tells a semi-fictionalized version of the United States’ race to land a man on the moon, and it re-tells this landmark of American history through the experiences of three black female mathematicians and engineers who made the moon landing possible.

Seldom remembered for their contributions in technology invention and advancement are the black women who break through racist and sexist barriers in a fight to have their voices be heard and their expertise valued. Mary Jackson, Catherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan, were three such women whose work as “human computers” made John Glenn’s launch into space possible.

In order to heighten the tension between these women and the gendered racism they encountered from their institution, Hidden Figures made some exaggerations. At the time that Jackson, Johnson, and Vaughan were employed, segregation was already illegal at Langley, now owned by NASA. In an interview later in her life, Katherine Johnson said that she did not remember virulent workplace discrimination, as it was portrayed in the film, being a noticeable part of her day-to-day experience; most everyone was too busy checking over their numbers to pay much attention.

The film used fictionalized versions of characters and events to embellish the impacts of sexism and racism on black women working in STEM fields. The “police incident,” where the three women were pulled over and met with the PG-13 version of police harassment, was invented for the film. The altercation ended when the women showed their NASA badges. The officer treated them with respect after overcoming his initial surprise at their employment and escorted them to work. Even though this scene is falsified, it does create an imaginative reality where black women, who are otherwise exceptionally vulnerable to police violence, rise to a higher social status by working in a STEM field at NASA. This scene actually shows how STEM careers often present themselves as a potential “escape” from discrimination because of the esteem that Americans give to science and math.

The timeline was condensed, and the three women (Mary Jackson, Catherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan) actually were not closely bound friends. It is important, however, to note that throughout the film, their experiences encountering the same forms of discrimination bind them together and force them to turn to each other, because black women in STEM fields today still face many of the same problems in the industry that the movie chose to amplify.

Hidden Figures brought light to two significant problems that black women face in male-dominated STEM careers: sexism and racial bias. Black women in engineering fields today, much like Johnson, Jackson, and Vaughan, are often isolated within their industries. They often lack role models in higher positions in the institution, and it is difficult to find or form a strong sense of community that can counter the inherent culture of sex and race-based discrimination in a field that is over-saturated by one type of employee.
A 2018 study found that of engineer bachelor’s-degree holders in the United States, only 20% are women. Of that 20% “…less than 4% of engineering bachelor’s degrees are awarded to African American, Hispanic, and Native American women combined, and for African American women that percentage is declining.” Workplace discrimination, “gendered racism,” isolation as a minority, unfair performance evaluations, and poor salary negotiations are cited as the biggest reasons that women and particularly black and women of color are more likely to leave the industry.

One survival technique for black women struggling to survive in a workplace, however, is to do just what the fictional versions of Mary Jackson, Catherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan did in the film: stick together and stand by each other. Today, the racism and sexism that we often see or hear about are not as blatant as Hidden Figure’s depiction of Jackson running a mile to use the nearest “colored women’s restroom,” or her being banned from board meetings because women had never been allowed inside prior to her employment. Nevertheless, STEM institutions are suffering because there is a pervasive culture that is detrimental to black women’s growth as scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.

Hidden Figures is one of the first recent movies to speak directly to an audience of black women and girls about the place they have always had in STEM careers. Overall, this film goes to show everyone that our STEM institutions, engineering professions, and space studies can only benefit when black women and women of color are free to participate and know that their voices and accomplishments will be valued.

Sources:
Hidden Figures. Directed by Theodore Melfi, 2016. Disney+.
MsMojo. 24 February 2020. Top 10 Things Hidden Figures Got Factually Right & Wrong. Video. Youtube.com.
New SWE Research: Women Engineers of Color in Early Career. National Society of Black Engineers and Society of Women Engineers, 2018.