In Margot Lee Shetterly’s book, Hidden Figures, she writes about a cardboard sign on one of the tables in the back of NASA Langley’s cafeteria during the early 1940s that read, “COLORED COMPUTERS.” This particularly struck a nerve with the women because it seemed especially ridiculous and demeaning in a place where research and intellectual ability was focused on much more than skin color. It was Miriam Mann, a member of the West Computers, who finally decided to remove the sign, and when an unknown hand would make a new sign a few days later, Miriam would shove that sign into her purse too. Eventually, the signs stopped reappearing at some point during the war.
I finally saw Hidden Figures today! (It didn’t come out here until Friday). Here are some thoughts I had during the movie, in no particular order:
I wish they’d done more of that thing at the beginning where we saw through Katherine’s eyes as she analyzed shapes and the bits of stained glass in the window kinda started to float? You know the bit I mean right? I really liked that.
It strikes me as quite a brave choice to cast Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons, two actors who have a lot of goodwill around them, as unlikeable racists/misogynists.
In a weird way I’m bitter that something as cool and fascinating as the Space Race only really came about as a byproduct of war. Can you imagine where the human race would be right now if the USA and Russia had actually worked together? (Okay, maybe not that much further along. But there would be some good stories.)
Even John Glenn, probably the nicest white person in this film, calls Katherine “the girl”. She’s a grown woman with three kids!
Speaking of kids, all the kid actors in this movie are really good. And completely adorable as well.
JFK bragging about the freedoms of America when a huge percentage of the people living under the American flag are fighting for basic human rights.
I’m really glad Katherine Johnson lived to see this movie.
Octavia Spencer tweet: ‘Hidden Figures’ Is The First Female-Fronted Movie to Remain No. 1 Since 2011
Huffpo link: http://bit.ly/2iywGTk
Text of the Instagram post:
therealoctaviaspencer Tomorrow I’ve bought the 8pm showing of #hiddenfigures the rave Baldwin hills. If you know a family in need that would like to see our movie but can’t afford it have them come. It’s first come first served. My mom would not have been able to afford to take me and my siblings. So, I’m honoring her and all single parents this #mlkweekend Pass the word.
