Of all the films ever produced focusing on mathematical geniuses making exceptional breakthroughs, anyone can observe the vast majority of those films center around white men— just as most means of entertainment. This kind of message not only becomes increasingly dull, but portrays the white male identity as superior; since white men are persistently in the foreground, making incredulous changes and exercising triumphs, it is white men that must be most capable and are most responsible for changing the course of history— right? Wrong.
Think back to how much you know about the Space Race. American and Russian forces were battling technological breakthroughs and fighting for a spot on the moon, and a chance to change the course of history. We proudly put a man on the moon and stuck an American flag onto its surface to let our message resonate through time. However, there is a lot more to that sentimental story, including the cooperation of three genius African American women acting as “human computers.”
The story, adapted from a book by Margot Lee Shetterly, tells the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. These three women were chosen due to the minuscule minority of participants at the start of the space missions being able to handle rigorous mathematics. Throughout the course of the film, these women have to not only endure grueling work in order to put the first man on the moon but simultaneously handle the heights of racism and segregation that were especially prevalent during this time period.
Yet, it takes no spoiler alert to tell you that the missions were a success— in large part to this back female excellence.
It is films like this that inspire and enchant young people of color, by proving that you can be an African American woman responsible for affecting the lives of an entire nation; one whose success rings true for decades to come. And now one can only hope young people of color can look up at the moon each passing night and witness what they are capable of.
This film appears on Christmas Day in select theaters, but officially comes out on January 13, 2017.
