A Black Shero that You Should Know Katherine Johnson

BY CAMILLE COOK

IT’S BLACK HISTORY MONTH! This month shouldn’t only be to acknowledge the leaders of pop culture, it should also be to recognize the accomplishments of the ones that worked to be educated and the ones who strived to help make the changes of today. Even if they may not have been recognized for their leadership and accomplishments that they made in the world like Marther Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges etc. Teachers, Scientists, Mathematicians, Doctors, Surgeons etc. should have as much recognition as them because they have made an impact and made changes in the world beyond their professions.

So therefore, without further ado let me introduce you to Katherine Johnson (August 26, 1918 – February 24, 2020), an African-American woman who has made many accomplishments and made big changes during her 101 years of being on this earth. She has received many rewards based on her knowledge in mathematics and NASA such as the Silver Snoopy Award and a NASA Group Achievement Award. She also earned the reputation for mastering “complex manual calculations” in her 33 year career of being at NASA. She has made a change by her historical role being recognized as one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist. This can encourage younger black children to have the encouragement to most likely be the next biggest NASA scientist.

Now let’s talk business. Katherine Johnson was a very successful woman. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 by President Barack Obama himself, she was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson as a lead character in the film Hidden Figures in 2016, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the U.S Congress in 2019, and in 2021 she was inducted posthumous- ly into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Katherine was the youngest of four children, her mother was a teacher and her father was working 3 jobs to provide for his family. Katherine showed strong mathematical abilities at a young age but because Greenbrier Country did not offer public schooling to African American children past eighth grade, the Colemans (her parents) arranged for her and her siblings to be schooled at a highschool in Institute, West Virginia. Katherine was enrolled in the school when she was only 10 years old and graduated highschool when she was 14. She graduated college with degrees in mathematics and French by the age of 18.

Katherine decided to pursue more into her strong mind of being a mathematician and chose to join the field as a research mathematician although knowing how hard this would be especially being an African- American and female. She still continued to fight for what she wanted even though knowing what could possibly occur of her plan failing.

Katherine is an inspiring women to look up to because not only has she been recognized for her success, but she has done big things even from the neighborhood environment she grew up in. She never let how her parents’ situation of staying stable and providing for the family was when growing up deter her from how she would be seen when she got older. She used what she was given as a gift and used it in the best ways possible. Because Katherine Johnson didn’t make excuses for why she “couldn’t” do something, I’ve been inspired to persevere through my adversities to reach my personal goals and my personal level of success. From my research, I learned that she was determined, consistent, and brave, no matter how much she faced segregation and discrimination, it didn’t stop her and, NOTHING, will stop me! In this moment in history, I salute Katherine Johnson.