The Issues Of Racism And Sexism In Hidden Figures By Margot Lee Shetterly

“Their dark skin, their gender, their economic status– none of those were acceptable excuses for not giving the fullest rein to their imaginations and ambitions.” Hidden Figures, written by Margot Lee Shetterly, follows the lives of several African American mathematicians known as human computers from around the 1930s–60s who worked at NASA during the space race. The book is mainly concerned with three women who are the main characters of the film. Them being Catherine Johnsons, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson, but also several others. The women faced discrimination and segregation due to their race and gender which the book details. We observe as they progress their aspirations and a career at NASA. This is a very vital story that is told. These women’s contributions have been often overlooked or ignored due to the simple fact that they were black women

Shetterly includes a lot of historical context throughout the book such as World War Two, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race. There are two themes expressed in the novel thoroughly. The being racism and sexism.

Sexism

A very dismaying piece of the novel was the referral of black women as ‘computers’. This inhumane term implies that their status is equated to a machine or tool. The use of personification in reference to women being the same in nature to computers highlights that their sole purpose was for the completion of mundane tasks with no emotional connection to society and the outside world. This, in essence, can seem real and believable as women were treated this way during this time. The 1960s was notorious for sexism for women as a whole, truly bringing into perspective the reality of the story. The statement in the Handmaids tale depicts that the protagonist needs to truly believe the story, as some stories may seem untrue due to their linear nature. What can make a story believable is its reality in its historical context. The historical context of hidden figures instigates a sense of sympathy towards the poor treatment of women in the United States in the 1960s, thus giving the reader a connection to what was a reality, empowering them with knowledge of a through a true story.

Racism

In addition, racism is evident throughout Hidden Figures and brings a deeply saddening element. In part of the novel, Catherine Johnson is forced to exit the building and travel to ‘coloured female toilets’. In response, she stands up against customary white supremacist rules by arguing her perspective against predominantly white male colleagues. From this, the male colleagues began to concede their white supremacist nature and empathise with a black women’s debilitating struggle to feel accepted in society. Relating back to the given statement, the rebelling nature of Catherine depicts her belief that a change can be made. This creates a bandwagon effect, enticing the reader to also believe that these white supremacist laws can be abolished and that black women will one day be ‘accepted’ in society. The element of belief brought to the reader is conducive to making Hidden Figures a ‘true’ story, as now the reader can feel more deeply connected and able to empathise with black women and their advocacy for acceptance, thus bringing this story to life.

To conclude, I’m trying to convey that this book is important, the stories within are important, the subjects it raises are important and we need to hear about these things and learn about these areas of history. Katherine, Dorothy and Mary were successful and caused the launch of John Glenn into space, contributing to the acceptance of black women in society in the near future. “I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it” strongly emphasises the belief of stories because if we don’t, we will not gain a more in-depth comprehension of the connection between creative artistry and life experiences.