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I can’t remember the last time I watched a film that spiritually moved me and gave me inspiration to do more in life. Surprisingly, Hidden Figures touched my soul and woke up the warrior in me that I forgot existed. I began questioning myself and asked, “How dare I give up on my dreams because life gets too hard?” If Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and all of the women in this movie can make it, why can’t I?
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“Stick with it. No matter the problem, it can be solved. A woman can solve it — and a man can too, if you give him a lot of time.”
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Hidden Figures tells the true story of how three African-American women mathematicians worked for NASA as human computers. And because of their effort and tenacity for greatness, our country became the first, before the Soviet Union, to have a man travel into space and orbit the earth. The film features Oscar®-nominee Taraji P. Henson (Empire, Benjamin Button, Hustle And Flow), Academy Award® winner Octavia Spencer (Allegiant, Fruitvale Station, The Help), singer Janelle Monáe making her motion picture debut and two time Oscar® winner Kevin Costner (Black Or White, Field Of Dreams, Dancing With Wolves).
To see these women push through the adversity of their gender and race with such professionalism, class and style made me a little tearful at times. All of these Hidden Figures endured so much during an era that tried to halt their genius abilities and diminish their rights to live as a human being. There are so many dynamics to this film that cause you to ponder on the realization that as women, we are truly unstoppable.
Director Theodore Melfi explains: “For NASA, at that moment in time, brains were more important than race or sex. These were brilliant women who could do the math they needed, who were hungry for a chance, who really wanted the opportunity to change their lives – so who else were they going to turn to?”
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I asked my mother to join me as my special guest for the advance screening so that I could hear the perspective of someone who lived during this pivotal point in time. As my mother began to reflect on the contents of this movie, she explained how math and science were not her favorite subjects in school. However, she wished someone would have encouraged her to pursue more opportunities in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields of study. This statement spoke volumes to me because my mother is absolutely fantastic with numbers, and I can only imagine the Hidden Figures path she would have taken for an opportunity with NASA.
This is why it is imperative for us to expose our youth to a plethora of STEM programs and organizations. As a way to encourage this process, the Houston advance screening welcomed a large group of students from an all female STEM academy. It was heartwarming to see their eager faces filled with excitement, as they gathered to witness some phenomenal like-minded individuals on the screen. During the courtship scenes, the girls echoed in unison with a few giggles and an occasional, “Oooh.” This was hysterically funny to me. Oh, to be young again…
Every detail in regards to the clothing and music intricately completed this story puzzle. I absolutely fell in love with Janelle Monae’s wardrobe and found myself wanting to emulate her style. The costume designer did an amazing job with recreating this era.
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Ten-time Grammy award winner, producer, co-composer and songwriter, Pharrell Williams implemented the music and lyrics throughout the film in a spiritually moving way too. The song titled, “Running” helped build the anticipation for change and took on a whole new meaning towards the end of the story. This is a genius musical concept.
Another original song, “I See A Victory,” is written by Pharrell Williams and Kirk Franklin and performed with eminent Gospel singer Kim Burrell, known for the power of her voice and her signature blending of soulful jazz and R&B with traditional, inspirational Gospel sounds. The full soundtrack also features the voices of Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Lalah Hathaway and cast member Janelle Monáe.
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One thing that I will take away most from this film is the amazing integrity and character of mathematician Dorothy Vaughan, as portrayed by actress Octavia Spencer. In this day and time we often see women pushing themselves ahead in their careers without looking back and helping others along the way. I was in awe of how Dorothy turned down the opportunity to receive a promotion if she couldn’t bring the other women along with her. This was truly a selfless act. She not only turned it down, but flipped the script and prepared all of the human computers for the changes that would occur due to IBM entering their world. All of these women were thinking ahead of the curve and prepared themselves for what was coming ahead.
This moment in the film spoke to me so loud and clear. Wouldn’t it be amazing if women stuck together with the common goal of seeing everyone succeed without any competition? We need more reminders of this in our society today.
One synonymous statement that keeps bellowing out from movie goers in response to this film is, “I never knew these women existed!” We are all still in amazement of how we are just now realizing the magnitude of this story. I encourage everyone young and old to see this movie and allow yourself to be enlightened.
John Glenn, the first astronaut to orbit around the earth and one of the Mercury 7 astronauts featured in the film, recently passed away on December 8, 2016 at the age of 95. How befitting to embark upon the release of this film and remember a man that not only made history, but encouraged and celebrated the women who helped him land among the stars. Bravo to everyone who contributed to the making of this film. Thank you. Well done.
See HIDDEN FIGURES in select theaters Christmas Day,and everywhere January 6th, 2017.
Pre-Order Hidden Figures: The Album HERE:http://smarturl.it/HiddenFiguresAM
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- Johnson was a West Virginia phenom who started high school at 10 and had graduated with degrees in Mathematics and French at 18 before becoming one of the first to integrate the graduate school at West Virginia University, starting at Langley in 1953. While she was working for NASA, she was also a single mother raising three children
- Vaughan was equally accomplished, a Missourian who graduated from college at 19 and worked as a math teacher before joining Langley in 1943. She quickly became the head of the West Computing group.
- Jackson was a local from Hampton, Virginia with degrees in Physical Science and Mathematics. She rose to Aerospace Engineer after joining Langley in 1951, specializing in wind tunnel experiments and aircraft data, always using her position to help others.
- Author and executive producer Margot Lee Shetterly, whose father worked at NASA, wrote her novel Hidden Figures based on oral interviews, extensive research and archival information. Shetterly also founded the Human Computer Project, which has received two grants from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, an organization dedicated to archiving the work of all the women who contributed to the early history of NASA.
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