Main Statement: Hidden Figures
The film Hidden Figures, directed by Theodore Melfi, delivers a story of a group of young African American Mathematicians who calculated numbers that would launch rockets into space. The film explores the idea of discrimination whereby the characters are often faced with hardships and as such, display several acts of courage in fighting for their rights. Mary Jackson defies racism by courageously fighting her plea in court to attend an all-white school, Katherine daringly stands up to Mr. Harrison after he accuses her of leaving the workspace for a significant amount of time which results in Mr. Harrison eventually knocking down the ‘colored’ bathroom sign. As Katherine, Mary and Dorothy navigate life in a segregated Virginia, their courage drives the equality and respect that they rightly deserve.
Mary Jackson is an outspoken and independent mathematician who fights for racial equality. Within this film, she defies societal norms by fighting her plea in court to attend an all-white school.
As Mary approaches her goal of becoming an engineer Ms. Mitchel provides yet another roadblock. An addendum that requires her to attend an all-white school which is impossible for her to complete as they were living in a very segregated point in time. This is when she defies society’s norms and goes to court to plea for her spot in the all-white school. Her main statement to the judge was “he would be the first.” By the judge allowing her to attend this school, he would be part of “the first” of something. Although the judge was hesitant at first, he was fully persuaded by the end and Mary Jackson was going to be the first colored American to attend an all-white school. Mary's courageous act of standing up to the judge further allowed her to follow her dreams and accomplish her goal in life to become the first “colored” female engineer.
Katherine Johnson is the main protagonist in the film. The film explores how she is quite a shy person and doesn’t like to get into confrontation for the most part. Within this scene, Katherine stands up for her rights against Mr. Harrison about her absence at work. Mr. Harrison likes his employees to be where he can see them until he doesn’t need them anymore and sends them home. This could mean them only staying for a few hours or him telling them to stay all day and all night just to complete an equation that in the end, he didn’t find useful at all. Katherine remains absent multiple times a day at work because she has to travel from the east wing building to the west wing building just to use the bathroom. Mr. Harrison had enough and finally confronted her about it. Instead of Katherine being the shy, non-confrontational person she is, she stands her ground and fights back. Katherine expresses the lack of respect everyone in the workroom had for her and the fact that she doesn’t even have a bathroom within 5 minutes from her area. Katherine's bold and daring act of standing up to Mr. Harrison gave her more respect from the other NASA workers and Mr. Harrison.
Mr. Harbon is a ruthless and strong-minded character within the film. He never hesitates to say what he wants, and he won’t tolerate anyone belittling him.
One of his most bold moments was when he stormed out of the east wing building into the west wing building and knocked down the ‘colored bathroom’ sign. After Mr. Harrison realization of Katherine's bathroom situation, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He goes to the west wing building “colored bathroom” with a crowbar. He then knocks down the sign in front of all the workers from the east and west wing buildings. Mr. Harrison’s courageous act allows the viewers to see discrimination from a different light. Not in the sense that Mr. Harrison had the courage to stand up for Katherine but because what he did allowed everyone to further understand ‘colored people discrimination’ and the effects it actually has on people, especially Katherine.
Courage is a recurring idea within the film; expressed by many of the characters who continually fight for their rights despite the discrimination they face. Katherine and Mary are strong individuals that courageously speak out in order to stand their ground and fight for their rights. Mary’s brave act in court allows her to be the first African American woman attending an all-white school and Katherine speaking out to Mr. Harrison forces change within NASA. Despite the nature of segregation in Virginia in the 1960s, Katherine and Mary were pioneers in the fight for equality.
