Hidden Figures: Diversity in Science
February 15, 2017
Just in time for the 2017 award season, Hidden Figures (dir. Theodore Melfi) was released on Dec. 25, 2016 to near unanimous critical acclaim. Starring the dynamic trio of Janelle Monae, Octavia Spencer, and Taraji P. Henson, Hidden Figures follows the stories of three African American NASA specialists Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Katherine G. Johnson respectively.
Compared to the otherwise white award season nominees, Hidden Figures stands out as a beacon of progress that highlights the struggles of being both an African American and a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field. These ideas of prejudice carry into modern day, especially considering late movements like Black Lives Matter and the more recent Women’s March. Supporters of such movements have been asking for movies like this one for years, and Hidden Figures did not disappoint: critics have proclaimed it as one of the best movies of 2016.
Personally, as a woman, this story of women pioneering the space program sits near to my heart; the progressive conversation of gender equality in the workplace has been an issue relevant to not only myself but to the rest of the world. Providing an equal opportunity for the genders to perform, regardless of the field of work, sets the stage for grand success, much like the story Melfi asserts with his interpretation of Jackson, Vaughan, and Johnson’s careers.
Melfi provides additional social commentary on the treatment of the black community in the workplace as well. There is a reason the movie is titled Hidden Figures, and that is because the African American community is generally “hidden” in the workplace. Despite the strides the civil rights movement has made, racism is not a thing of the past; it thrives in all corners of the world, especially in regards to recent events such as the 2016 election and the Black Lives Matter movement. A movie with three female leads, much less women of color, is unheard of in Hollywood, but this movie proved that those barriers are not eternal.

When I first met Jaz I was surprised at how lovable she is. This girl who is the current Editor in Chief for newspaper, who is a quiz bowl state champion, and the president of the writing center, put so much on her shoulders and will make you surprised at how well she handles everything that gets thrown at her. Jasmine Fernandez is the girl who makes you want to live her life for even a second, adored by all who meet her and baffled by how many faculty members she has befriended; to the point where she even attended board meetings.
She is the silly person everyone wants to be friends with, I mean if you saw someone sitting in a Panera for eight hours wouldn’t you have the urge to go speak to this mindless girl?
Many people call her ‘mom’ seeing how she cares for all of her friends, and honestly everyone who she meets. Instead of calling her my mom I would prefer to call her my comrade, seeing how we both go through the same struggles in life, dealing with the drawbacks of high school and life.
Rather than letting the torments get to her and slow down her path to Cornell Jasmine confidently thrives on through high school, as she states, “I am so grateful for the opportunities i’ve had and lessons i’ve learned in those gates but i’m also really excited to move onto the next”. Having the ability to push obstacles out of her way to focus on what actually deserves her attention, causes many around her to envy her, and secretly hate her, but that is besides the point.
-Vanessa Carillo
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