27/08/2018

Katherine Johnson helped put a man on the moon.

"I counted everything: the steps to the road, the steps to the church, the number of plates and silverware I washed… Everything that could be counted, I counted."

(Katherine Johnson)

At a time when sexism and racial segregation in the US closed the doors of universities to black women, Katherine Johnson was a trailblazer. At 15, she managed to get into university. At 35, she was part of the team of scientists that took man to the Moon. At one hundred years old, completed this Sunday (26), the American is one of the most influential mathematicians of all time.

The student's talent was so great that West Virginia University had to create a class in spatial analytical geometry especially for her. After graduating, she encountered barriers to working in her field and had to teach mathematics and French – another of her talents.

In the early 1950s, Katherine learned that NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), now NASA, was looking for Black women to work as "computers"—since electronic computers did not exist, all mathematical calculations were done by hand.

She had to insist to be accepted. She applied twice. She arrived at NASA at age 35 and was an essential part of the calculations and research that led to the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon on July 20, 1969.

Recognition for her achievement came late. At age 97, on November 24, 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. On that occasion, her career was cited as a pioneering example of Black women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

In 2017, NASA named a new computational research center after her. This year, Katherine was included in the "Inspiring Women" line of Barbie dolls.

Part of her story was told in the film "Hidden Figures," directed by Theodore Melfi. The film was released last year. Actress Taraji P. Henson played Katherine Johnson.