All of us at NCWIT have been inspired by “Hidden Figures,” and we are so excited to celebrate the book and film at the 2017 NCWIT Summit this month! Author Margot Lee Shetterly will join us as a keynote speaker, and we will also honor Screenwriter Allison Schroeder with the Reel WiT Award, which recognizes the best portrayal of leading women in tech (e.g., documentary, tv show, film, YouTube, etc.) who serve as role models for girls and women with computing aspirations while disrupting the stereotypes of female ingenuity in technology fields.
As we near the 2017 NCWIT Summit and the end of our six-month celebration of “Hidden Figures,” we are sharing your thoughts on this inspiring film.
This is the first post in a three-part blog. Be sure to catch up with the additional posts in the series here and here.
How will the story of the women in “Hidden Figures” impact your life tomorrow?
“As a woman working in the cybersecurity field, I see this type of story happen every day. We need to keep showing our skills, and knowledge, and willingness to work and be heard.” – Tonia
“I found out there are homeless children in Spring Branch Independent School District, where I live. This is the energy corridor in Houston, and this should not be. This story inspires me to find those kids, and make sure they have the opportunity to study computer science. As a White House Champion of Change for CS Education, I know I must continue to be a change agent.” – Karen
Which scene did you find the most surprising? Why?
“The scene in which Kazimierz Czarnecki tells Mary she should be an engineer. Even in the book, he had to really support her through the bureaucracy at Langley so she could become an engineer. We need champions in our corner while navigating Corporate America.” – Laurinda
Which scene did you find most relatable to you? Why?
“The scene in which Harrison (Kevin Costner) tells all the team they’ll need to call their wives and stay late until they find a solution. The team is almost all men, all dressed alike, in white button-down shirts and black ties, with Katherine wearing a green dress and the other woman in the office wearing a gray one. The assumption that there is a ‘wife at home’ to take care of everything is still prevalent today and still hurts working women.” – Hagit
“The scenes where they were questioned about whether they really worked as computers for NASA by the trooper and Col. Johnson, as though that was unbelievable. We all run into this problem of being continually underestimated based on racial and/or gender stereotypes.” – Stacy
“In the first scene, this film reminded me of my early schooling when I enjoyed mathematics. I spent the next several days looking back into my own history to learn when I lost that enjoyment. I realized that in my adult life, I’ve shied away from any opportunity involving math. I took a course that relied on basic statistics, which reignited my passion. As I work on MBA applications, I’m considering data/analytics majors in a way I never had before.” – Emily
“I could relate to the scene where Mary Jackson has to go to court just be able to take night classes in order to become an engineer. In my career I have struggled to be able to use available resources to advance my education and complete an MBA. Though the employee manual said the support was available, there was a convoluted process to obtain the documentation and recommendations to actually use the benefit. And, this was in the 1990s.” – Sharon
What was your most valuable takeaway from the movie?
“We must build on where we agree, and stop tearing down those we don’t agree with. In “Hidden Figures,” the computers did not destroy their community — they found solutions while following the unfair rules. They did not ask others for help — they were proactive leaders. They taught themselves to program the new IBM computer at NASA, as they knew their jobs were coming to an end. When the rules were changed to prevent blacks from being engineers, a computer went to court and legally had a waiver passed so she could get her advanced degree.” – Karen
- K-12
- K-12
- I Want To
- K-12 Resources
K-12 Resources
Act and advocate for more inclusive computing learning experiences. Encourage and inspire students to explore computing pathways that match their interests and abilities.
- K-12 Programs
K-12 Programs
Inspire and encourage individuals of all backgrounds, equip K-12 and higher education influencers, and foster virtual and in-person communities at local, regional, and national levels.
- K-12 Alliance
K-12 Alliance
Mobilize year-round alongside formal and informal educators and other adult influencers nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Higher Education
- Higher Education
- I Want To
- Higher Ed Resources
Higher Education Resources
Build consensus for action amongst colleagues, leaders, and advisors to create momentum for measurable, sustainable change within computing departments and institutions.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Education Programs
Recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- Academic Alliance
Academic Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside faculty, staff, administrators, department heads, and other mentors nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Workforce
- Workforce
- I Want To
- Workforce Resources
Workforce Resources
Employ strategic approaches that avoid the typical pitfalls of traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion interventions.
- Workforce Programs
Workforce Programs
Volunteer to engage with the next generation of technologists, amplify the bottom-line benefits of diverse technological contributions, and more.
- Workforce Alliance
Workforce Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside corporate seniors, executives, and team leaders nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Resources
- Resources
- Programs
- Programs
- Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing (AiC) provides encouragement, enables persistence, opens doors, and changes lives for women in technology from K-12 through career.
- BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM provides opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to learn the skills of computer science and research methodology within a research university setting.
- Color of Our Future
Color of Our Future
The Color of Our Future focuses on broadening the meaningful participation of underrepresented women and girls of color (Black, Latinx, and Native American).
- Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change is an online thought leadership series that presents research-based recommendations and prompts peer-to-peer discussions to further inclusivity in computing.
- Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing (C4C) offers professional development to school counselors, positioning them to effectively guide ALL students in exploring computing pathways.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed programs recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions foster great potential that otherwise may have gone unrecognized, and foster great ideas that might never have come to fruition.
- Regional Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
NCWIT’s Regional Initiatives bundle research-backed programs and practices to increase the local participation of women and girls in tech fields and careers. To understand local computing ecosystems, and cater content and programming to needs on the ground, NCWIT partners with community stakeholders to build awareness, inspire participation, and connect women to like-minded peers, role models, and opportunities.
- Sit With Me
Sit with Me
Sit With Me uses its iconic red chair to create in-person and virtual spaces where everyone can reflect on the value of diversity and inclusion.
- Tech Inclusion Journey
Tech Inclusion Journey
The Tech Inclusion Journey (TIJ) is a unique, scalable software platform that empowers change leaders to implement systemic, sustainable approaches to the creation of inclusive cultures.
- Aspirations in Computing
- News & Events
- News & Events
- NCWIT Summit
NCWIT Summit
The NCWIT Summit: where conversations lead to change is the world’s largest annual convening of change leaders focused on significantly improving diversity and equity in computing.
- News
News
Check out NCWIT’s latest press releases, press mentions, newsletters, blogs, and articles we are talking about!
- Events
Events
NCWIT offers various in-person and virtual events throughout the year and is also present at many other industry events. Find out about past and upcoming items here.
- re:think Magazine
- NCWIT Summit
- About NCWIT
- About NCWIT
- LOG IN