Hidden Figures

As Katherine Goble (Katherine Johnson) navigates the segregated Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, in 1961, she finds herself among a small group of African-American women colleagues, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, who are relegated to menial mathematical calculations without being privy to their purpose. The unit's racial and gendered segregation is starkly evident, with Katherine being assigned to assist Al Harrison's Space Task Group due to her expertise in analytic geometry, making her the first Black woman on the team. Notably, head engineer Paul Stafford's dismissive attitude towards her presence only serves as a stark reminder of the glass ceiling she faces.

Mary Jackson (played by) is tasked with working on the space capsule heat shield team, where her sharp eye immediately identifies a design flaw. Encouraged by her team leader Karl Zielinski, a Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivor, Mary applies for a NASA engineer position, only to be met with the condescending assertion that she lacks the necessary education. Undeterred, Mary files a petition to attend all-white Hampton High School's night classes, despite her husband's opposition, and eventually wins over the local judge by appealing to his sense of history.

Katherine's interactions with African-American National Guard Lt. Col. Jim Johnson are marked by initial skepticism regarding women's mathematical abilities, which he later apologizes for. As she spends time with him and her three daughters, Katherine impresses Harrison by solving a complex mathematical equation from redacted documents, all while the Soviet Union's successful launch of Yuri Gagarin ramps up pressure to send American astronauts into space.

Harrison's confrontation with Katherine about her "breaks" – unaware that she is forced to walk half a mile to use the nearest restroom designated for "colored" people – serves as a catalyst for change. Her impassioned explanation of the discrimination she faces sparks Harrison to destroy the "colored" restroom signs and abolish segregation. He subsequently includes Katherine in high-level meetings to calculate the space capsule's re-entry point, marking a small but significant step towards recognition.

However, not all are convinced of her value; Stafford insists that "computers" cannot author reports, and her work is credited solely to him, erasing her contributions once more. Despite these setbacks, Katherine remains undeterred, her perseverance in the face of systemic racism and sexism a testament to her unwavering dedication to her craft.

As Dorothy Vaughan (Pamela Howard) delves deeper into the mysteries of IBM 7090 electronic computer, she's met with a sobering reality: the machine is poised to supplant human computers. Her West Area co-workers are equally affected as NASA prepares for John Glenn's historic launch. A chance encounter with a librarian serves as a catalyst for Dorothy's determination; she secretly acquires knowledge of Fortran programming and imparts her newfound skills to her colleagues. The West Area team's proficiency is undeniable, and soon Dorothy finds herself supervising the Programming Department - on one condition: that thirty of her peers are transferred along with her.

As NASA readies for launch day, Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) is reassigned from the Programming Department to support John Glenn's Friendship 7 mission. Her exceptional mathematical skills prove invaluable when discrepancies arise in the IBM 7090 calculations; Katherine's diligence and attention to detail are instrumental in resolving the issue. With Mission Control's consent, she enters the control room, where her input proves critical in ensuring a successful orbit and landing.

Though human computers ultimately give way to electronic machines, the legacy of Dorothy, Katherine, and Mary Johnson (Janelle Monáe) endures. A poignant epilogue reveals that Mary earned an engineering degree and became NASA's first African American female engineer, while Dorothy continued as NASA's trailblazing African American supervisor. Katherine's accomplishments are particularly remarkable, having co-authored reports with Stafford and calculated trajectories for the Apollo 11 and Space Shuttle missions. Her tireless dedication is recognized in 2015 when she receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2016, NASA honors her legacy by dedicating the Langley Research Center's Katherine Johnson Computational Building - a testament to her lasting impact on the field of mathematics and beyond.