The book “Hidden Figures” is about breaking barriers: The speed of sound; a woman’s right to an education and professional career; and the struggles of African Americans during the 1950s and ’60s to be afforded the freedoms granted by the U.S. Constitution.
“Hidden Figures” is Iola Reads’ young adult community read. And while it centers on a few key characters, its broader scope includes the beginning days of the NASA space program and the contentious race against the Soviet Union to land a man on the moon.
At its best, it’s a history book, recalling how World War II required an all-hands-on deck effort to beef up the U.S. military’s fleets and how that effort led to bigger and faster aircraft.
At its worst — through no fault of its own — it’s a reminder of systemic racism and how Blacks were denied educational and professional opportunities, robbing the country of their talents.
“Through its inability to solve its racial problems, the United States handed the Soviet Union one of the most effective propaganda weapons in their arsenal,” wrote Margot Lee Shetterly, the book’s author.
“Hidden Figures” was made into a movie in 2016. The Iola Reads version is the Young Readers’ Edition.
It’s a quick read that appeals to young teens on up and lends itself to cross-generational discussions because many of the issues addressed remain current today.
Shetterly’s book, a true story, follows the lives of a handful of Black women who worked as “computers,” precursors to the actual machines, at Langley Aeronautical Laboratory in Virginia.
Not only were the mathematicians called “human computers,” but as Blacks, they were referred to as “colored computers.”
The mathematicians performed calculations using pencil and paper under the direction of engineers. Their calculations would launch rockets and astronauts in America’s fast-developing aviation and space programs.
As young girls, the women all loved math and assumed becoming a teacher would be the pinnacle of their careers.
The book highlights how mentors, be it parents, teachers, happenstance friends or those in the industry, helped each of the women play critical roles in the development of the U.S. space program by becoming full-fledged or data analysts.
Their professional success also reinforced their self-confidence.
“They wore their professional clothes like armor. They wielded their work like weapons, warding off the presumption of inferiority because they were Negro or female,” wrote Shutterly.
IOLA READS is funded by the Helen Gates Whitehead Trust and is a project of the Iola Public Library and the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
Two events will celebrate the book.
On Tuesday, Oct. 28, the Mad Science of Greater Kansas City will provide hands-on activities focused on STEM — science, technology, engineering and technology. The program is from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. in the large rehearsal hall in the Bowlus.
