Political Quotes

“``Hidden Figures'' has been lodged at the top of the box office charts for 2 months now--and with good reason. ``Hidden Figures'' tells the fascinating, true story of three mathematicians who worked as ``human computers'' at NASA in the early years of America's manned space program. Their job involved double-checking the accuracy of intricate calculations made by NASA's computers. And they carried the weight of awesome responsibility. Fifty-five years ago this week, their calculations helped launch Lt. Col. John Glenn into the heavens and return him safely after he had orbited the Earth three times. Coming in the midst of cold war tensions and the real fear that the Soviet Union was winning the space race, that historic flight was a source of intense pride and relief to Americans. It made John Glenn a national hero and an international symbol of American ingenuity and ambition. But the brains behind that flight remained largely unknown--until now. Why? It is because those formidable mathematicians--those ``human computers''--were three African-American women. They served this Nation at a time when racial segregation was the law of the land and gender- based discrimination was almost as common as air. As America marks Black History Month, this month seems a good time to say thank you to Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Katherine G. Johnson.…”