One of NASA's African-American human computer writes a formula on the board. (Photo : YouTube/ 20th Century Fox )
The movie 'Hidden Figures' has received an Oscar nomination for their story of African-American women who eagerly helped NASA put its first American astronaut into space. However, not known to most viewers, the contribution of the African-American women started much earlier than that of the movie.
'Hidden Figures' managed to remind individuals that contribution and service towards your country know no boundary. Such was true with the first batch of African-American women who joined the United States space agency and its predecessor. Although not popular among most viewers, black women playing the role of "human computers" started in 1935, according to Popular Mechanics.
Just two years after the U.S. joined World War 2, a 36-year-old African-American woman aimed to be part Nasa's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Miriam Daniel Mann became one of the first black women to work as a human computer at NACA, according to BBC.
It was through the initiative of President Franklin D. Roosevelt that black people were allowed to be employed as part of the US defense sector and other significant agencies. After hearing of the opportunity, Mann took the exam and passed it.
Unlike the scene depicted in the movie 'Hidden Figures,' the time of Mann was less advanced. Computers or machine generated answers were still unavailable, which led for manpower to be utilized as human computers.
Through the dedication and positive contribution of Mann and other black women during her time, US aeronautics agency managed to evolve and address the demands of their period. Thanks to their work, male engineers were given more time to spend with theorizing and writing equations.
As years passed by and new demands surfaced, the likes of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson came to the scene to fill in the void within NASA's lineup. The revolution that was started by the black women in 1935 as employees of NACA were then continued by the 'Hidden Figures' of NASA.
Watch here below 'Hidden Figures' movie trailer:
