From Book to Movie: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Mrs. Land worked as a computer out of Langley," my father said, taking a right turn out of the parking lot of First Baptist Church in Hampton, Virginia. ~ Opening of Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

William Morrow, 2016

Nonfiction (History); 368 pgs

I first came across the name Katherine Johnson in an episode of the time traveling show Timeless this past fall, and then suddenly her name was everywhere. When I saw a trailer for the movie, Hidden Figures (directed by Theodore Melfi), I just new I would have to make time to see it--and at the first opportunity, I did just that. It was an inspirational historical movie about three women, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and Katherine Johnson, at the forefront of NASA's space program, and yet I (and many more people) had never heard of them. All three women got their start as human computers, before technology had completely taken over, along with several other highly educated women. While all three women have prominent stories in the movie, it is Katherine Johnson's that is the main focus, particularly her role in putting the first astronaut in space (and getting him home).

It was a time of great change in the United States, with the Civil Rights movement underway, Jim Crow laws being challenged, and the beginning of a new era in space. The movie captures all of that both inside and outside of NASA. The actors do an outstanding job in their roles, especially the leading women (Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe). The movie does a good job of giving attention to a part of history that has remained relatively forgotten until now.

If I have one regret about seeing the movie, it is that I watched it before reading the book. I generally prefer to read the book first, especially in instances like this, when real people and facts are behind them. When I first started reading the book, I found myself trying to fit the pieces of the movie into the book, which just doesn't work. As can be expected, the screenwriters and directors altered the details of the women's stories to fit into a feature length film, playing up some details and condensing events, including attributing some to other characters. It's not something I generally mind because it's long been the nature of translating books to films to leave stuff out and change things up for the sake of time and entertainment--plus, from what the author writes in her book, the movie idea came from an outline of the book as opposed to the entire book. The movie is amazing, and I highly recommend it. However, if you want accuracy and a no-less-dramatic but more realistic take on the women and the time period, I recommend you read the book also.

Margot Lee Shetterly grew up surrounded by people who had worked for or had some connection with Langley and NASA. She is the niece of one of her subjects, and the more stories she heard growing up about the role women played in the early days of the space race, the more curious she became. I cannot thank Shetterly enough for bringing to light some of these women's accomplishments and the impact they had not only on the work they did, but on the women who came after them.

How I would have loved to be in on the interviews the author conducted! To be able to talk with these amazing women or those who knew them . . . I imagine none of them did anything they felt was out of the ordinary. They lived their lives, worked hard, and were passionate about their jobs, families and communities.

Shetterly gives a clear sense of the time period in which her book is set, especially regarding the racial tensions and how much--and how little--has changed. It's an interesting juxtaposition, one not lost on the author, of the advancement of technology and science during a time when African Americans were fighting for equality. It was a tense time in U.S. history, a time of social change being met with resistance from those who wanted to hold onto the past--whether that be because of ignorance, prejudice or fear--or all three. Virginia legislators itself seemed to be having a difficult time adjusting, refusing to integrate schools for as long as they could. One school district closed all schools for months at a time in order to avoid integration.

While life at Langley was in some ways more progressive than in the state where it was located in terms of race relations, it was not completely immune to the turmoil and injustice facing so many. Shetterly describes some of the prejudice and inequality both male and female African Americans faced on the job, whether it be limited access to bathroom facilities, a designated table in the cafeteria, a separate work area or the attitude and treatment of them by their white coworkers. The women may not have born the brunt of the racial prejudice in the offices quite as much as their male counterparts, says Shetterly, but they certainly had the disadvantage of being both black and female. 

In order for the reader to fully understand the roles Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Jackson, Christine Darden, and Gloria Champine and the other mathematicians and scientists played both in history and in their work, Shetterly goes into a bit of detail about just what their work entailed. I imagine she didn't get as technical as she could have, but it was a bit over my head at times. Still, I found it fascinating. Flight itself fascinates me. That a big hunk of metal can stay in the air, carrying people at high speed from one destination to another--and then to translate that into something that can fly into space . . . For so long people dreamed of going to the moon, and these women and the other men and women they worked with made it happen.

The women were extremely resourceful and flexible, which proved necessary and advantageous throughout their careers. They are all intelligent women and highly educated as were many of the other human computers during that time. Their math abilities out-shined even the white male engineers they worked with.

NACA, which would later become NASA, underwent a lot of changes itself during that time, the focus having been on the war and then shifting to space in hopes of catching up and beating out the Russians. Even the space race came to an end over the course of time, NASA having to re-focus its attention and energies again. When Langley first opened its doors to African Americans, it was with the expectation that the jobs would be temporary. Many, however, were able to have lifetime careers with the agency. The switch over from human computers to that of the electronic computers saw some changes in personnel as can be expected. Many people had to learn new skills and take on different tasks.

The reader also is able to get a look into the personal lives of the women focused on in the novel, although some more than others. I can say that the movie version of Hidden Figures focuses much more on Katherine Goble Johnson's past than the book did--and the movie fails to dive into the lives of the other women featured in the book as much as the book does. I loved reading about Mary Jackson and the work she did with her Girl Scouts Troop, including her activism in integrating the organization in her region. I also especially liked reading about Jackson's involvement in helping her son with his derby car--her skills as an engineer coming in handy for something outside of work. Not only was she a woman engineer, something rare in that day and age,but also an African American one.

Hidden Figures is full of women who have gone unnoticed for too long. These truly are great women who have earned a place in history. Margot Lee Shetterly brings many of their accomplishments to light, and I am so grateful she has done so.

To learn more about author Margot Lee Shetterly and her work, please visit the author's website.

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