Hidden Figures Summary

Summary of Hidden Figures Book by Margot Lee Shetterly

Name: Hidden Figures
Rating: 4.6 (7412 reviews)
Author: Margot Lee Shetterly

4.6 . 7412 reviews

Short summary

Digital computers have not always been as compact and efficient as they are today. There was an age when a university faculty building full of literal “supercomputers” could not match an iPhone’s processing power, and institutions that have operations involving complex calculations used “human computers” — mathematicians. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) had an all-female human computer staff in the mid-20th century, and they were primarily Black people. This summary provides a historical account of particular women and how they defied stigmas of sex, race, and status to impact their generation. Margot Lee Shetterly is a non-fiction writer who grew up in predominantly Black Hampton, Virginia. The research that grew into “Hidden Figures” buds from her being familiar with some of the Black women that worked at NASA. Shetterly’s “Hidden Figures” has been adapted into a movie of the same title. She is the recipient of several grants and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. “When seasoned by the subtleties of accident, harmony, favor, wisdom, and certainty, luck takes on the cast of serendipity. Serendipity happens when a well-trained mind looking, for one thing, encounters something else: the unexpected.” ~ Margot Lee Shetterly

16 min

8 key points

8 insights

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Table of content

Summary of Hidden Figures
About the author
What is Hidden Figures about?
Who should read Hidden Figures
Topics in Hidden Figures

first key point

A crime of neglecting essential contributors

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Miss Dorothy Johnson had just graduated from Wilberforce University with a BSc in Mathematics in 1929. Soon afterward, she met a brilliant young man with whom she tied the knot. By the end of 1932, Johnson married her heartthrob Howard Vaughan at age 22. Mrs. Dorothy Vaughan then pursued a teaching career at a local high school, though she had a lifeline to go to graduate school. However, racial discrimination still ate deep into society’s heart, with the Jim Crow laws at full throttle.

The real story begins during the Second World War in 1943. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics took a shift from commercial flights’ design and optimization to improving the military fleet. The Federal Government was sending fresh streams of funds to fuel research for the uplift of existing fighter jets and the design of new efficient ones.

All the entities involved in the war were actively turning out sophisticated weaponry to outrank the enemy. America took a step to harvest its wealth of intellectual talents by recruiting engineers, data analysts, and mathematicians to their numbers. President Franklin D. Roosevelt saw great potential in the Black intellectuals of America and passed Executive Orders 8802 and 9346 in 1941. Though it didn't apply to all American citizens of color, it was the nudge that prompted the mitigation of racial discrimination in Defence and Federal parastatals. The journey was, however, far from over for Black females.

Engineers stood at the very core of airplane designs and needed the support work of human computers and analysts to keep up with the volume of data rolling out daily. The missing gap of human computers was the window of opportunity that brought several women into NACA. Dorothy Vaughan came in with NACA's first tranche of human computer recruits in 1943.

Research into records that mention Black women that served as human computers brings their number to around 50. In reality, they may have numbered up to 1,000.

West Wing mathematicians’ contributions did not start with NASA, the Soviet Sputnik space challenge, or Mars landings. They've always been an integral part of America's innovative greatness. Consequently, Black female computers are the unsung heroes of NASA space technology, computer science, and Aeronautics.

This summary provides a tale of human greatness, irrespective of skin color or originating clime. It is likely you have far more than is necessary to forge a historical course. Follow this piece to the end to identify the opportunistic potentials you could use as fodder in the formulation of greatness.

second key point

Langley Research Institute opens gates for female engineers

As soon as the U.S. got a whiff of the invasion of Poland, and with America’s stakes in Europe, President Roosevelt requested a step up in airplane production, a significant development to the nation’s defense fleet — “Victory through airpower!” The target set by the president was 50,000 airplanes per year. Before the beginning of World War II, American airplane production maxed at 90 planes per month.

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third key point

Haydays at the Langley West Wing

fourth key point

The end, transition, and scaling new heights

fifth key point

Rapid race with external motivators

sixth key point

The intergalactic dominance and colonization of space

seventh key point

A late but deserved victory

eighth key point

Conclusion

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What is Hidden Figures about?

This captivating non-fiction book delves into the untold story of the brilliant African American women who played a pivotal role in the Space Race. Set against the backdrop of racial segregation and gender discrimination, the book highlights the remarkable contributions of these unsung heroes at NASA, whose mathematical expertise and determination shattered barriers, challenged societal norms, and ultimately helped America achieve its greatest scientific triumphs.

Who should read Hidden Figures

History enthusiasts interested in the untold contributions of African American women in the space race.
Students studying the intersection of race
gender
and science.
Anyone seeking inspiring stories of resilience and triumph over adversity.

Topics in Hidden Figures

African History Women Empowerment Civil Rights Space Travel History African American History Women's Health Social History Science Technology Mathematics Engineering Astronomy Physics

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