Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

                With World War II came the need for faster, more efficient planes. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), located at

Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, needed computers. The need was so great that women were hired in very high numbers, even black woman were hired for their mathematical skill. Many of these women had advanced degrees and worked as teachers. When the opportunity arose to work for NACA they rose to the occasion. But they would experience many of the hardships in the work place that they did outside of the workplace. Even though they were vital to the work being done they were segregated and known as the West Computers while their white counterparts were the East Computers. They had to sit in a segregated lunch area and use bathrooms labeled as “Colored.” The years would pass and with the end of the war many of the women, who had proven themselves as exceptional workers, stayed and would have lasting careers breaking barriers, by becoming engineers, helping compute the first landing on the moon and cycling the next round of women into the workplace now known as National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA.

                Had you heard this story before? I hadn’t and I’m really glad I took the time to read this book and learn more about a part of history that I was woefully ignorant of. These women that worked at NACA were extremely strong minded and very well educated women who broadened the horizon and gained the respect of their white counterparts. As they were making strides in the workplace and as the color barriers were breaking around them, they still had to deal with living in Virginia, a state hell bent on keep segregation and holding on to what they considered to be “traditional American values.” It was amazing and disturbing to see the juxtaposition of the women and the progress being made by America as a country as far as trying to put a man in the moon, when the United States was in such a stagnant state when it came to race relations. This book spans three decades and as much as things changed, it was at a horribly slow pace. Compared to the progress we were trying to make in space, we did horribly making sure change was happening in regards to civil rights back on Earth in the U.S.

                But what an empowering and well done debut by Shetterly! This book handles a lot of science, obviously it’s about mathematics and aeronautics, but she managed to find a really beautiful balance between the work that these women were doing and their individual stories. You were never overwhelmed with mathematical details, instead you were informed of just how much work was being done and how capable these women were. I enjoyed it. It was such an easy read with loads of information but told in a very relatable fashion. I gives this book 4 out of 5 stars.