Hidden No More

Even in 2017, when the focal character of a movie is a woman whose life doesn’t revolve around a man, or a black person who isn’t trying to escape slavery, the entertainment industry still raises their eyebrows and cocks their heads in intrigue. Set in 1960s Virginia, the box office hit Hidden Figures has elicited this type of reaction. The film follows the true stories of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson: three brilliant African-American women working at NASA in a time when the contributions of women and people of colour were rejected by public institutions. By portraying people of colour and women as the historical losers, the entertainment industry neglects the skills of an entire demographic of people. Katherine Johnson was a gifted mathematician who calculated the launch and landing of John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Mary Jackson became the first female aeronautic engineer at NASA. Dorothy Vaughan became the first African-American supervisor of both black and white workers. These women contributed to society without the right to vote. These women endured. These women changed history. However, until now, their stories have been hidden. Sadly, the entertainment industry is just that: an industry. Its goal is revenue, which has been continuously used as a defense for sexism and racism in Hollywood. However, when the director of Hidden Figures, Theodore Melfi, was asked why he chose to make this film, he answered, “The world has definitely seen a Spiderman before.”As a coloured woman pursuing a science degree, this movie gave me the role

models I never knew I needed. Growing up, I continuously heard the names Mendel, Darwin, and Hawking being praised in classrooms. Although their work is formidable, I could never relate to their circumstances. I knew that, if I lived in their time, I would not have even had the opportunity to gain such a name for myself. When I first watched the film, I felt robbed. I was bewildered that, of my years of education in science, women’s history, and black history, I had never heard of these women. As the movie continued, I found myself welling up with admiration and pride, but mostly disbelief, because I never thought women in this era could be so influential. When a movie stays #1 at the box office for weeks and receives nominations and victories from multiple award shows, the entertainment industry realizes that such material is not only popular, but also valuable. Hopefully Hidden Figures’ success will prompt the revelation of more hidden figures neglected by our curriculums and, believe me, there are millions. We need to spend our money in an effort to show the entertainment industry that we deserve all stories. As an adult already pursuing science, I was inspired by this story— I can only imagine how a 10-year-old black girl building her volcano for the science fair would feel when she sees it.

By Tiasha Bhuiyan