NASA praises ‘Hidden Figures’ legends

Hidden figures currently have space before NASA’s headquarters in the District.

A sign at the corner at Third and E streets SW was renamed Hidden Figures Way on Wednesday in honor of the black women whose mathematical computations contributed to the accomplishment of the U.S. space program during the 1960s and ’70s.

“This [street] sign is a powerful testament that anyone telling a little girl or a little boy, ‘You can’t do something,’ is not telling you the truth,” Sen. Ted Cruz said at the unveiling. “This is a monument that you can do anything.”

City authorities including D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, at-large Democrat, and relatives of the women highlighted in the 2016 biography and film “Hidden Figures” went to the occasion, which resulted in part from bipartisan legislation presented by Mr. Cruz. The Texas Republican said the recently renamed thoroughfare will serve as a reminder to children visiting NASA of the “unlimited human potential of all of us.”

In particular, the occasion was held to honor mathematicians Katherine Johnson, the late Dorothy Vaughan, the late Mary Jackson and all other unsung women in the space program.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum taken an interest by displaying a webcast highlighting “Hidden Figures” biographer Margot Lee Shetterly and previous NASA mathematician Christine Darden after the divulging. The webcast was part of the museum’s “STEM in 30” series highlighting contributions by women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.