A piece of a D.C. street has been renamed to honor three black women who were heroes of the space program.
The block in front of NASA headquarters, in Southwest D.C., was renamed Hidden Figures Way on Wednesday to honor Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three mathematicians who overcame discrimination and segregation to play key roles in the space program and have been immortalized in the book and movie of the same name.
Speakers at the ceremony Wednesday included Margot Lee Shetterly, the author of 鈥淗idden Figures鈥�; Sen. Ted Cruz, who introduced the legislation renaming the street; and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, who was instrumental in its adoption.
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine reminded the crowd that the women did their work at a time of 鈥渁 contest of ideologies鈥� with the Soviet Union. He called the women an 鈥渆lement that was not recognized. 鈥� Now, it is time to celebrate them in a major way.鈥�
鈥淭oday is a celebration of women,鈥� Cruz said. 鈥淭oday is a celebration of African American pioneers. Today is celebration of American heroes. This is a wonderful day.鈥�
He recalled watching the movie with his mother, wife and daughters, and talking with his daughters afterward.
“Why would people do that?” Cruz remembered one of his daughters saying of segregation afterward.
鈥淔or years and for decades and for centuries, when little girls and little boys come to see NASA, they鈥檙e going to look up and see that sign. And they鈥檙e going to ask 鈥楬idden Figures? What does that mean?鈥� And that in turn is going to prompt a story.鈥�
That story, he said, will 鈥渋nspire generations after generations of kids, and in particular little girls, who may be told at school, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 do something.鈥欌��
Shetterly, whose father worked as a research scientist at NASA and knew some of the women who were known as 鈥渃omputers,鈥� said her work was not about the end of the story 鈥� it was about the beginning.
She added that she wanted to relate the history of 鈥渉ow [these] black women combated the quotidian humiliation of racism through perseverance and mathematical talent, and it鈥檚 about how women of all backgrounds proved that not only are women good at math; sometimes, they鈥檙e the best at math.鈥�
Shetterly added, 鈥淢ay this street 鈥� serve to remind us, and to everyone who walks here and comes to this building, of the standard that was set by these women with their commitment to science and their embodiment of the values of equality, of justice and humanity.鈥�
海角精品黑料’s Melissa Howell contributed to this report.
