• Film

    ‘Hidden Figures’ and the Importance of Representation

    Remember that stand up routine of Chris Rock’s where he expressed that famous quote, “Why the black man gotta fly to something that the white man can walk to?” Well, if you don’t, here’s the video for your convenience. Hidden FiguresĀ is not only a film that captures the real life stories of black mathematicians working at NASA during US segregation, it is aboutĀ female black mathematicians. I had never heard of the names Katherine Goble, Dorothy Vaughn, or Mary Jackson before entering the theatre to watch this film, and that troubles me. Despite a few inaccuracies, the film did a good job of portraying the double oppression these women faced at…