In the Shadows
Former GC Student Leadership Board member reflects on “Hidden Figures” in history and civic engagement today
The movie Hidden Figures, which premiered in 2017, told the story of three black women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson who were three of the workers responsible for calculating orbital trajectories, which contributed to human space exploration. The film displayed the effects of racial discrimination of women of color during the early 20th century. The movie highlighted the power of setting aside differences in order to succeed in important ventures by celebrating the accomplishments of three women whose contributions to society have been greatly overlooked.
Katherine, Dorothy and Mary were able to overcome the racial discrimination evident in their period, but their stories were not widely known until recently, as the title “Hidden Figures” explains. Of course, it is important to point out that there were so many other women who served as “human computers” to calculate complex equations that helped with various space missions. There were also other people who fought for racial equality across history. Something I noticed within these notable individuals is that they were discredited during that time period-due to class, gender, and/or race. But that should not stop youth, and overall society today, from crediting them as much as others who engaged in similar endeavors. It’s 2019, and people should not allow for the discrimination of others in the telling of history or present day.
Beyond “Hidden Figures,” are more hidden figures.
Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary are not the only historical figures who were overlooked for their contributions to society. In the 19th century, Octavius Catto fought to desegregate horse-drawn cars in Philadelphia. He also campaigned for his African American peers to be given the right to vote. He is not recognized as prominently as Frederick Douglass, although both individuals contributed greatly to the rights of African Americans. Another activist was Claudette Colvin, arrested in 1955 at age 15 for refusing to give up her seat on the bus. Her action was similar to that of the famous Rosa Parks, who became more of the spokesperson for the civil rights campaign.
Fast forward to the twenty-first century, where the major political divisions in the United States are growing wider according to the Pew Research Center. There are people today using their voices to overcome these divides who, like Katherine, Dorothy and Mary, may be uncredited for their work or not as recognized for their accomplishments. For example, in 2016, Marley Dias, an eleven year old girl organized a book drive to deliver about eight thousand books featuring black girls as the main characters to young girls. Sophie Cruz — at just six years old — delivered a speech during the Women’s March to advocate for immigrants’ rights.
Their determination, diligence and selflessness helps these activists take part in building a stronger America. These individuals should not just be credited for their work, but should also be a reminder to young people that giving your time and care to issues are driven by one’s true character. These activists listed above are surely not the only individuals who were not recognized as heavily as they deserve to be, but I hope this makes you curious to learn more about activists who have been overlooked and helps you to see the value of your activism no matter how it’s recognized.
Generation Citizen enables youth in several states in the nation to broaden their horizons, and realize their contributions to different communities. A collaborative environment is important to bring many perspectives to conversations and prevent activists from being discredited, when some of them fight for the same issues as the activists being celebrated. Not every activist shares their story to the fullest extent and not every story is told through all lenses, but it is important for us to seek knowledge as much as possible for the issues we care about and know just how many people have fought for them in the past.
