She, Margerey Hannah is West Area computings white section chief. The orbit plots displayed in the front of the room incorrectly show a six-orbit mission, which did not happen until Wally Schirra's MA-8 mission in October 1962. Be the one because you are the One. Al uses his power when Katherine begins at the Space Task Force to put an end to the discrimination she is facing due to the colour of her skin. She could have been fired on the spot. You lead from where you are. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! His occupation, coupled with his gender and ethnicity makes contributions to the power he holds. Paul Stafford is a fictional character representing a number of white engineers at NASA for whom Katherine Johnson worked. Initially, he is reluctant to break tradition and she boldly tells him that he has the authority to change if he is courageous enough to use his influence to make the change. Mitchell finally addresses her as "Mrs. Vaughan". Dorothy Vaughn was not one to sit around and wait for whatever was going to be thrown her way. In 1957 Christine Mann (married name Christine Darden) is a senior at North Carolina's Allen School for girls when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik. Hidden Figures: Study Guide | SparkNotes Taraji P. Henson, who portrays Johnson, said she felt pressure playing someone who is still alive and wanted to make sure she got it right. His behaviour towards Katherine coupled with the values of society at the time, show his workers that it is acceptable to not respect Katherine and engage in discriminatory actions. It only takes one to see the genius in those you lead and give them the freedom to create greater opportunity for all It only takes one to stand up and advocate for others when it is unpopular or seemingly unwise to do so. Club comments that "lack of surprise is in this movie's bones. Through this blog post, I have argued that Al Harrison, from, History.com Staff. Even though Katherine Johnson, in this role, was a hero, there were so many others that were required to do other kinds of tests and checks to make [Glenn's] mission come to fruition. During her time at NASA, she worked under segregated conditions as a "computer.". I didnt even know computers were people before they were computers, she said. Waiting is not a prosperity strategy. Rather than advocating for her promotion in isolation, she advocated for the entire department to be able to fill the needs of programming the new IBM computer. Al Harrison You might get the indication in the movie that these were the only people doing those jobs, when in reality we know they worked in teams, and those teams had other teams. Johnson goes on to work at the Langley Research Center for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which later became NASA, in Virginia in their West Area Computing Unit, an all-women segregated group who, as human computers, complete intricate mathematical calculations by hand. The end of the film provides a glimpse into what the real Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson went on to accomplish.