Katherine Johnson

A young woman walks to her new job, too excited to notice the dirty looks people give her. Even if she did realize them, she would have cared less. As she opens the door to the Flight Research Laboratory, she looks around the room with a sense of accomplishment. Ecstatic about her job, she struts towards an empty desk next to an engineer, and organizes her belongings after giving him a friendly smile. As she is about to introduce herself to her co-worker, he starts to pack up his papers and walks to a different desk across the room. She receives a judgmental look from him as she watches him move away. She thinks to herself, “Did I break an unspoken rule? Was I rude to him?” But then she realizes that the reason the man departed was because of her race and gender. She is a black woman, whose opinions don’t matter to her colleagues. Despite this rudeness, she was always taught to give respect so as to receive it. Focusing on the good in the situation, she continues to work on her projects while not letting the discrimination block her from making contributions at her new job. Heroes aren’t always muscular people who protect the world from bad guys, or rich public figures who donate millions of dollars to charities. We have heroes living among us in our everyday lives, being heroic so as to benefit others. It could be a friend who takes the time out of their schedule to help you with your homework, a single parent who does everything to provide for their kids, or someone who encourages and motivates you to keep on trying after you fail. Captain America once said, “This nation was founded on one principle above all else: The requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world -- ‘No, YOU move’” (Straczynski 14). He describes a hero as someone who stands firm in their beliefs, even when people tell them that they’re wrong. They are trailblazers who use their skills to help others overcome adversity. Someone worthy of admiration needs to be an inspiration to others, and through their example, leads others to conquer obstacles. Through perseverance and selflessness, a person will become a hero by always helping those in need.

Katherine Johnson working at the NASA Langley Research Centerhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Katherine_Johnson_at_NASA,_in_1966.jpgThe same woman who had her opinions neglected because of her race and gender would be the person that calculated the successful flight patterns for many of NASA’s rockets, which helped to better space exploration. Katherine Johnson was born on August 26, 1918, in West Virginia, to black, working-class parents who believed in the importance of education. As a little kid, Katherine Johnson was enthusiastic about math and graduated college at 18 with a degree in math and French. She was hired as a “computer” for NASA, developed theorems, and solved many equations that proved essential for space research. After a promotion, she became a mathematician who used her knowledge of math to help bring and return Apollo astronauts from the Moon. Because she experienced racism and sexism, Katherine Johnson was persistent in overcoming those barriers. She became the first woman allowed to attend board meetings, which enabled her to calculate the safest flight patterns for rockets in space and prevented many deaths because of her flawless calculations. However, even after all her accomplishments, she stayed altruistic and never bragged about herself. Since she was so hardworking, she never felt the need to tell people about the important work she contributed to NASA. Johnson would always put the needs of others before her own. Persisting through racial and sexist barriers, as well as her selfless respect for others, proves that Katherine Johnson serves as an inspiration for many and is worthy to be called a hero.

Racism and sexism blocked many from achieving their goals, especially in the 1950s, but Katherine Johnson stands out because she was persistent in overcoming those barriers. When asked about how she dealt with hardships at NASA due to discrimination, Johnson recalls the time where she stood up for herself in order to attend meetings for space research: “...they had briefings and I asked permission to go. And they said ‘Well the girls don’t usually go.’ And I said ‘Well is there a law?’. He said no, I said something, and my boss said let it go. And I began attending the briefings…” (What Matters - Katherine Johnson: NASA Pioneer and "Computer"). Although Katherine Johnson was upset because of the sexist decision to block her from attending the meetings, she continued to persist. Because of her perseverance, she was eventually allowed to attend the meetings. Being a woman in a male dominant career is intimidating because during the mid-twentieth century, gender roles expected women to be obedient housewives. To add on the barriers she faced, Johnson was also African American, and experienced discrimination often. She was hindered from fully contributing to NASA because of her gender and skin. As a member of the Space Task Group, Johnson was crucial in determining flight patterns using mathematical equations. If she was not able to attend meetings, she would not have able to contribute better information. Her persistence led her to become successful in her job, and inspired many to pursue their difficult goals despite things that limit them. In a biography of Johnson by Contemporary Black Biography from Gale, it states: “When the space race heated up with the 1957 launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik, Johnson was perfectly positioned to embark on a successful career in a profession dominated by white men” (Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson). Katherine Johnson chose to succeed in a career where she didn't "belong." Although Johnson was set up for a career where she did not fit in on the outside, she thrived and was accepted because she was their equal in knowledge. When the whole world told her she was not good enough because she was a black woman, she stayed rooted in her beliefs that we are all equal. Johnson proved them wrong by persevering until she succeeded by calculating successful flight patterns for many of NASA’s rockets. Through her persistence, she was able to accomplish great things and inspired people to do the same.

Katherine Johnson in front of the NASA Research Facility named in her honorhttps://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/nasa-langley-s-katherine-johnson-computational-research-facility-officially-opensAdditionally, Katherine Johnson was also selfless, which shows her heroism by putting the needs of others before herself. She would often exert her energy to ensure the well being of others, rather than focus on herself. When describing Johnson’s struggles in the book Hidden Figures, Shetterly writes: “One morning on the way to work, Katherine literally fell asleep at the wheel, waking up shaken but unhurt by the side of the road. She was absorbed with the problem of keeping the astronauts safe on their round trip to the Moon that she was making herself vulnerable to the most mundane kind of risk” (Shetterly 234). Johnson’s selflessness was shown when she was concerned more about others’ safety than her own. She spends more time calculating the safest flight patterns instead of giving herself time to relax. A true hero is someone who is willing to sacrifice their time, talents, or treasures because they are selfless and care deeply about others. Through her actions, we see that Johnson is a true hero because she exemplifies all of those traits. When asked about her mom in an interview with AARP, Katherine Moore says: “We knew that she worked at Langley - it wasn’t a discussion of what she did, we just knew it was math. And we all did well in math, and she would never brag on herself. And most of our knowledge came from seeing something and then coming home saying ‘Mom, this book says you did A, B, and C’” (What Matters - Katherine Johnson: NASA Pioneer and "Computer"). Johnson never boasted about the important work she contributed to NASA during the space race. The kids had to find out themselves that their mom was a great mathematician and influenced space exploration in many ways. Johnson demonstrates her heroism because of the humble role-model she is for her kids. Superheroes don’t brag about the number of crimes they’ve stopped or villains they have defeated. Just like Johnson, they don’t feel the need to tell others and instead work on something new. Katherine Johnson used her calculations to help sync Project Apollo’s Lunar Lander with the moon-orbiting Command and Service Module. She also worked on the Earth Resources Satellite, and signed her name on 26 research reports, becoming the first woman at NASA to sign to publicly show her contribution to a project. She even earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2015. But, like the hero she is, she stays modest about her accomplishments and says: “It was a nice tribute. I don’t know what all the fuss was about, though. I was just doing my job” (AARP NASA Pioneer Katherine Johnson Q&A).

Katherine Johnson receives an award to honor her contributions as a member of the segregated West Area Computers divisionhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hidden_Figures_Award_Ceremony_(NHQ201612010025).jpgBy persisting through discrimination and giving selfless respect for others, Katherine Johnson was able to accomplish her goals as a black woman living in a segregated world, trailblazing a path for women and people of color in the workplace. Johnson isn’t heroic because she was a genius in math that made calculations for rockets. She is a hero because of the accomplishments she made despite racial and sexist barriers that blocked her way, and inspires others to persevere through adversity and achieve their goals. Through her persistence, she earned respect from engineers and astronauts like John Glenn. She provided groundbreaking research and signed her name on official reports, the first female at NASA to show their contribution on a project. She stayed humble and never bragged about the work she did at NASA. She proves her heroism by accomplishing the impossible and inspiring others to follow her example. Ever since I was young, I’ve enjoyed math and learning about space. Both are pretty difficult subjects, and I struggle with them just as much. Space exploration hasn’t been something I’ve focused on as a career, until recently. Katherine Johnson has impacted my attitude on space, and inspired me to become a physicist at NASA. Through her example, I feel motivated to overcome adversities in my life, such as my struggle with math, and achieve great things. When Johnson watched the Friendship 7 rocket burst into space, she felt overwhelming amounts of pride and joy. It affected the world in many ways, and we celebrated it throughout America. That was her rocket--the one she helped develop and calculated flight patterns for. The rocket was a testament to her heroism—it showed how she stood firm in her beliefs and didn’t let the world talk her down when she destined for greatness. It showed how she overcame racism and having her opinions and thoughts neglected by her co-workers. It symbolizes how through persistence and selflessness, anyone can achieve their goals. To create something monumental is amazing, and it's something I want to do in the future. Katherine Johnson is an ordinary person who accomplished extraordinary things, who inspires many, including me, to take after her example.

Works Cited

WHROTV, Cathy Lewis. “What Matters - Katherine Johnson: NASA Pioneer and ‘Computer.’” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Feb. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8gJqKyIGhE.

"Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson." Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 61, Gale, 2007. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1606003687/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=89ba5ab9. Accessed 23 Apr. 2019.

Gregersen, Erik. “Katherine Johnson.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 8 Mar. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Katherine-Johnson-mathematician.

"Katherine Johnson." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, vol. 37, Gale, 2017. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631010638/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=6d5650da. Accessed 23 Apr. 2019.

Lindsey, Sue. “NASA Pioneer Katherine Johnson Q&A.” AARP, 19 Feb. 2018.

Shetterly, Margot Lee. Hidden Figures: the American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race. William Morrow, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2017.