Her calculations that landed two astronauts on the moon concluded the Space

Race. Through her successful work at NASA, she has many achievements and

accolades. An admired book and movie highlighting her journey called “Hidden

Figures,” exposed the true position that women played in the past at NASA. This

inspired the creation of the street, “Hidden Figures Way” that NASA now sits

upon. In 2015, Johnson was awarded the Medal Of Freedom from President

Obama which is the Nation’s highest civilian award. Most importantly, she has

inspired a new generation of women, along with minorities who aspire to one day

work in the space industry. Johnson's influential work at NASA will continue to

help future generations on their next expeditions in space.

“From honorary doctorates to the 1967 NASA Lunar Orbiter Spacecraft and

Operations team award (for pioneering work in the field of navigation problems

supporting the five spacecraft that orbited and mapped the moon in

preparation for the Apollo program) Katherine Johnson has led a life

positively littered with honors.” (Smith, 2018)

“Yet, the importance of African American computers should not be based on a purely numerical basis.

African American computers marked the beginning of change in employment from an ideological

standpoint. Whereas African American men were recruited to fill positions of labor and service, African American women were recruited largely based on educational qualifications and abilities.” (Clemons,

2011)

“Katherine’s legacy is a big part of the reason that my fellow astronauts and I

were able to get to space; it’s also a big part of the reason that today there is space

for women and African-Americans in the leadership of our nation, including the

White House. [Bolden Statement]” (Anderson, 2015)

“But if you want to know the answer to something, you have to ask a question. Always remember that there’s no such

thing as a dumb question except if it goes unasked. Girls and women are capable of

doing everything that boys and men are capable of doing. And sometimes we have more imagination than they do.” (Johnson,

2019)

“NASA is deeply saddened by the loss of a leader from our pioneering days, and we send our deepest condolences to the family of Katherine Johnson. Ms. Johnson helped our

nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of color

in the universal human quest to explore space.” (“NASA Administrator Statement on Passing of Katherine Johnson,”

Northon, 2020)

“...The women computers would perform all sorts of computations included in agency

reports, but only the men’s names would be put on the cover. The women did their share of the work, but they weren’t given any credit.

(Johnson, 2019)

“While they did the same work as their white counterparts, African American computers were paid less and regulated to the west section of the langley campus, where they had

to use separate dining and bathroom facilities.” (Blitz, 2011)

“I will never forget the day when all the engineers - in other words, all the guys - were about to go to a briefing to discuss, well I didn’t know exactly what since I had never been invited.

(Whether it was because I was colored or a woman - or both - I never knew.) That didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Since I would be doing the calculations on whatever ideas they discussed, I thought that I should be in the meeting too. By then I didn’t attend the meetings, I never really

knew exactly what was happening. This crippled my ability to do my best work.” (Johnson, 2019)

(NASA, 2015)

(NASA, 2019)

(NASA, 2017)

(Shetterly, 2017)

(“One Small Step, One Giant Leap,”NASA, 1969)

(“West Area Cafe,” NASA, 1944)

(“A Human Computer Hidden No More,” NASA, 1966) (“Johnson At NASA Langley Research Center,” NASA, 1966)

“As the country prepared itself for War, major changes to the uniform nature of the civil service began to take

place. By 1941, with the rapid expansion of the country’s defense industries and 10 million civilians

committed to the armed forces, the prewar employment policies had become inadequate. ...In

addition to the increased demand for workers, political pressures began to mount within the country. Racial discrimination from America’s war industries limited employment opportunities for the country’s minority

populations.” (Clemons, 2011)

“After World War II drew to a close in the mid-20th century, a new conflict began.

Known as the Cold War, this battle pitted the world’s two great powers–the

democratic, capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union–against each

other. Beginning in the late 1950s, space would become another dramatic arena for this competition, as each side sought to prove the superiority of its technology, its military firepower and–by extension–its

political-economic system.” (History.com Editors, “The Space Race”, 2010)

“For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding.”

(John F. Kennedy, 1962)

“We saw a dangerous manifestation of the work of these forces last spring when the aircraft of one of the largest States Members of the United Nations, the United States of America, treacherously invaded, the air space of the Soviet Union and that of other States. What is more, the United States has elevated such violations of international law into a principle of

deliberate State policy.” (Khrushchev, 1960)

“The purpose of these laws, when they were enacted, was to keep the races

separate...and at the same time to wound the feelings of the Negroes.” (Charles E.

Wynes, 1967)

(Turner, 2017)

(Roosevelt, 1941)

“A number of job openings at Langley began to appear during this period. Announced by the Executive Secretary of the board of civil service examiners T. Melvin Butler, positions were posted in the Norfolk Journal and Guide targeting the African American community. In the newspaper, positions were labor and service intensive and included: labor group

leader, painters, truck drivers, and helpers of all types.” (Clemons, 2011)

(NACA, 1915)

(NASA, 1959)

“...Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of

1958, which formed a new civilian space agency, NASA. NACA

officially turned over operations to NASA on 1 October 1958.”

(NASA, 2009)

(Dunbar 1961) (Dunbar, 1962) (Smith, 1969)(Dunbar, 1970)

LEGACY

Katherine Johnson’s academic success and persistence broke the sexist and racist barriers during her career at

NASA.

CONTEXT THESIS

BREAKING

“...White women who worked at NACA [NASA] were often the wives of the

engineers and got in through nepotism. They didn’t feel Colored women

belonged, even Black women with degrees.” (Johnson, 2019)

Katherine Johnson: NASA’s Assiduous Pioneer

Springfield, Republican, MA, Jan. 7, 1923

(Erwitt, 1950)

(Equal Suffrage League of Virginia , 1919)

(The San Diego Union, 1957)

(The Huntsville Times, 1961)

(“Apollo 11 Launch,” NASA, 1969)

(The Daily Mirror, 1969)

(New Journal and Guide, 1943)

(Mattel, 2018)

(“Statue Of Johnson,” Ferguson, 2018)

When first working for NASA, Johnson faced racist and sexist obstacles.

During this time Jim Crow laws still existed and everything in NASA remained

segregated. Johnson along with other black workers were required to work in

a building designated for African Americans called the West Section. In

addition, she faced obstacles that white women did not experience. Women, in

general, were not given credit when they contributed work for a report.

Moreover, Johnson also found that only men were allowed in briefings that

were vital for the calculations she needed to solve. Despite Katherine

Johnson's superior qualifications, she was still considered a sub-professional,

while men were the professionals.

(“Mathematician Katherine Johnson at work,” NASA, 1966) (“West Building,” NASA, 1948)

https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.28038589?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=it&searchText=aint&searchText=me&searchText=babe&searchUri=%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dit%2Baint%2Bme%2Bbabe&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=search%3A8e6d3c2b7abc148f3c336d616f2e442a&seq=8#metadata_info_tab_contents(page 8)

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/LaRC_History.html 1992

(Johnson, 1964)

The Cold War between the Soviet Union and United States introduced a new

competition in the Space Race. In the search for the most brilliant minds of

the country, NASA opened jobs for people of all color. However, Jim Crow

Laws still had to be followed. As this situation transpired, Katherine

Johnson found a posting and applied for a job at Langley, NASA.

“I can’t really understand why this crazy system exists...The women I work with are all intelligent, many are college graduates,

certainly we are capable of making decisions...rather that doing one little chore

after another. We are expected to though...and for our obedience we are grossly underpaid.” (“It Ain’t Me Babe”,

Bonnie, 1970)

The Cold War left the United States and the Soviet Union competing in the Space

Race. This led to NASA searching for the most brilliant minds of the country,

extending jobs to people of color. While Jim Crow Laws were still enacted

people of color started applying to NASA. Due to the outcry for civil rights,

women working became much more common. However, women were still not

treated the same as their male counterparts.

(White House Press Office, 1964)

(Gordon, 1970)

(Charles F. Bolden, , 1986) https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19980227091.pdf (Katherine Johnson report)

(“Bury Jim Crow,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1963)

Johnson achieved her

accomplishments through her

academic success and persistence. At

an early, age she exceeded society’s

expectation of a black child’s

knowledge. This was later proven

when her understanding of analytic

geometry prompted her promotion

from the West Section to the Flight

Research Division full of men, in just

two weeks. Unlike others, she voiced

her opinions and concerns as she was

determined to participate in the

briefings that only white men

attended. She also bravely went

against social standards to use a white

women’s restroom.

Johnson was the first woman to be

given credit on a NASA report. Later,

she worked with a team to compute

the trajectory of John Glenn’s Flight

using the new IBM. Before Glenn’s

flight, he personally asked Johnson to

calculate the IBM’s math, proving

that they were correct, and he would

be safe. This was a significant event

as an astronaut put his life in the

hands of Johnson’s mathematical

abilities. He understood the depth of

her intelligence.

“Johnson started high school by the time she was 10. By 18, she’d finished college, where

she excelled as a math major and was sometimes the only student in the hardest

courses offered.” (Drake, 2016)

“As a part of the preflight checklist, Glenn asked engineers to “get the girl”—Katherine Johnson—to run the same numbers through the same equations that had been

programmed into the computer, but by hand, on her desktop mechanical calculating machine. “If she says they’re good, then I’m ready to go.” Glenn’s flight was a success, and marked a turning point in the competition between the United States and the Soviet

Union in space.” (Shetterly, 2018)

As Johnson worked on the problems, she would ask questions. She didn’t

want to just do the work -- she wanted to know the “hows” and the “whys” and the the “why nots.” None of the other

women had ever asked questions before, but by asking questions,

Johnson began to stand out.” (Wild, 2015)

“After just two weeks, Johnson was transferred to the Flight Research Division,

where she and her colleagues were eventually tasked with helping NASA meet the challenge posed by the Soviets with the

1957 launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite, followed by the 1961 orbital flight of Yuri

Gagarin, the first human in space.” (Drake, 2016) (The Pittsburgh Courier, 1962)

(Baltimore News-Post, 1962)

(“Liftoff of Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 mission,” NASA, 1961)

“

So the astronaut who became a hero, looked to this black woman in the

still-segregated South at the time as one of the key parts of making sure his mission would be a success.”

(Shetterly, 2018)

(Johnson & Skopinski, 1960)

(“Ted Skopinski and Katherine Johnson,” NASA, 1985

BARRIERS“Her calculations helped land Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon in 1969. Johnson calculated Apollo 11's flight path into orbit around the moon, the path of the landing module to the moon's surface, the module's flight back to Apollo 11, and the spaceship's return to

Earth. Johnson made the star map that the astronauts used to chart their minute-by-minute journey.” (Contemporary Black Biography, 2019)

“We are fortunate that when faced with the adversity of racial and gender

barriers, she found the courage to say ‘tell them I’m coming.’ We are also

fortunate that Katherine has chosen to take a leading role in encouraging

young people to pursue education in STEM... Few Americans have embodied the true spirit of equity as profoundly or

impacted the cause of human exploration so extensively. At NASA, we

are proud to stand on Katherine Johnson’s shoulders.” [Newman Statement]” (Anderson, 2015) (“Dava Newman,” Dalsimer, 2009)

Katherine Johnson: NASA’s Assiduous Pioneer

Hope Newton and Mar Ruiz Senior Division Group Exhibit

Student composed: 496 words Process Paper: 492 words

When deciding on a topic, we generated separate lists of ideas. One of us was

inspired by powerful women of the past and the other very interested in space travel.

From there we decided to connect our ideas and research a topic that would cover both

subject areas. Our search led us to Katherine Johnson, an African American

mathematician who changed the face of NASA. After reading more about her life, we

fell in love with her story and her character. Together we knew that she would be an

excellent example of someone who has broken many barriers on her path to success.

The research done for this project was performed using books, the internet,

newspapers, and online databases. Our history teacher was also very helpful and

guided us along each step of our work. A key source was Katherine Johnson’s

autobiography, “Reaching for the Moon.” Her firsthand account of her days working for

NASA helped us immensely on our project. Another useful source was NASA’s

personal database. It held many useful and informative articles about Johnson and the

work being done at NASA during a turbulent time of racial inequality. The website also

included many pictures that brought our research to life.

When choosing how to present our project, we chose the exhibit. We wanted to

reveal a board filled with Johnson’s achievements. This allowed us to be creative and

convey all the ways Johnson broke barriers of the past. As we conducted the research,

a problem arose. While trying to find primary sources, we came across a newspaper

that was only accessible in college libraries. Our team contacted many librarians from

colleges, and we were denied access since we were not attending their institution. We

even contacted our local community college librarian for help on getting this source, but

our attempt failed.

Our topic relates to this year’s theme because Katherine Johnson and many

other women were left in the background and were not shown any respect or credit at

NASA. Unlike others, Johnson rose to the occasion as a strong African American

woman. Women were not given proper credit as they fell into the shadows of their male

counterparts. Without any complaints, Johnson continued to go to work each day,

working for the country that denied her the recognition that she deserved. Johnson

used her intelligence and mathematical abilities to destroy the barriers that were built

around her. She proved to everyone that the astronauts that were risking their lives in

space needed her calculations to survive. At NASA, Katherine Johnson was a vital

component to the United States winning the Space Race against the Soviet Union

during the Cold War. She is an inspiration to all little girls who dream of getting into

male-dominated careers, to all women who strive to reach their dreams in this world and

to those who have been struck down because of their gender, skin color, who they are

and who they love.

Annotated Bibliography Primary Sources Anderson, Gina. "NASA Statements on Katherine Johnson's Medal of Freedom." NASA,

November 24, 2015. Accessed December 18, 2019. www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-statements-on-katherine-johnson-s-medal-of-freedom. This article includes statements from different NASA workers on the topic of Johnson receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Obama. From this, we learned how much of an impact Katherine Johnson has on not only space advancements but equality at NASA. We used this source to show how she has led an example for young people who are interested in pursuing a career in the space industry. She took the first steps alone in order to allow women and minorities to have more opportunities today. The statements are important to our board because they convey how Johnson’s work affected others.

Bonnie, Peggy, Issac Asimov, Dorothy Parker, and Laura X. “Women's Liberation.” It

Ain't Me Babe 1, no. 3 (1970). Accessed May 1, 2020. doi:10.2307/community.28038589. The issue of this newspaper highlights a few women and their stories of how they were mistreated in the 40-50s. This source is important to our research because it shows evidence of the sexist environment Johnson grew up in and endured when working at NASA. It also shows how women started to realize they were worth more and shouldn’t be treated unfairly.

Daily Mirror. "Man on the Moon." 20 July 1969.

www.ingridpitt.net/history/headlines-as-history.html. Accessed May 1, 2020. This is a newspaper about the United States getting their astronauts safely on the moon. The Space Race was officially over leaving the United States victorious. This is important because it shows the result of Johnson’s hard work at NASA.

Dunbar, Brian. “Apollo 13.” NASA,1969,

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo13.html.m. Accessed January 17, 2020.

Apollo 13 was in trouble so they aborted the lunar landing and were able to bring them home safely. We used this mission patch to symbolize a mission that she worked on. The article behind the mission patch shows the expertise people possessed at NASA. Johnson was part of the team that helped them return to Earth safely, making her a valuable part of the team.

Dunbar, Brian. “Mercury-Atlas 6 (23).” NASA, ,1962

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mercury/missions/friendship7.html. Accessed January 17, 2020.

This article is about the first time an American man in history went around Earth’s Orbit. In this mission, Astronaut John Glenn called out Katherine Johnson specifically to recheck the IBMs calculations, ensuring his safety. This shows us that Glenn understood the strength of Johnson's intelligence and trusted her with his life out of everyone else. We also used the mission patch of the Mercury-Atlas from this article to represent the work she did for this flight.

Dunbar, Brian. “Mercury-Redstone 3 (18).” NASA.1961. www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mercury/missions/freedom7.html. Accessed January 17, 2020.

This is the mission patch that was used during the Freedom 7 mission. In this mission Katherine Johnson contributed to the achievement of the first American reaching outer space, which helped NASA in the Space Race. This enhanced our board by emphasizing another mission that Johnson was a part of.

Erwitt, Elliott. “ Segregated Water Fountains.” North Carolina, 1950.

This photo emphasizes how different life was for African Americans. Whites got a fully functioning water fountain while African Americans got their scraps. Segregation was truly a disadvantage for African Americans from reaching equality. It prevented them from getting the same opportunities and kept the two races separate. This photo captures how segregation treated people who weren’t white.

Equal Suffrage League of Virginia. Equal Suffrage. 1919, www.virginiahistory.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/women-virginia. Accessed April 13, 2020.

This photo was taken in 1919 of a parade in Virginia with a float protesting equal suffrage for women. The picture is important to our project because it shows the inequalities for women happening at the time Johnson was alive. It shows what she lived in and the obstacles she would have to overcome in her life for a successful career.

“Glenn Shot Into Space On Earth Orbit Flight.” Baltimore News-Post, 1962.

The article this newspaper talks about is how John Glenn orbited Earth. This is one of the main events in Johnson’s story. A day before Glenn’s flight he specifically requested for Johnson’s assistance. He wanted her to check the

IBM's math and see if the calculations were correct. Glenn wouldn’t go to space if Johnson didn’t confirm the numbers. This is very useful to our exhibit because it shows how Katherine broke a barrier.

Gregersen, Erik. “Charles Bolden.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Aug. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Bolden.

Bolden was one of the first African American astronauts that worked for NASA. Charles Bolden is a man who was impacted by Katherine Johnson. This photo is here to show how this astronaut, someone who is pronounced as a national hero, looked up to this African American woman who calculated numbers for him.

The Huntsville Times. "Man Enters space." 12 Apr. 1961, www.sciencesource.com/archive/Man-Enters-Space--1961-SS2516998.html. Accessed April 12, 2020.

This is a newspaper from 1961, when Cosmonaut Yuri Gagrin became the first human to orbit the Earth. This is significant to our research because it shows how tensions got higher for the United States when the Soviet Union was winning the race. It shows how important Johnson's role was in calculating the math to make the flights run smoothly.

Johnson, Katherine G. ”Reaching for the Moon.” Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019.

This is an autobiography by Katherine Johnson. From this book we learned about her early childhood to getting a job as a mathematician at NASA. We used this source to show how Johnson felt about her experiences from her own point of view and words. It also gave us a lot of good background information to what was happening around her in the world at her time and her opinions on it.

Johnson, Katherine G., and Ted H. Skopinski. “Determination Of Azimuth Angle At Burnout For Placing A Satellite Over A Selected Earth Position” NASA, Langley Research Center, Sept. 1960, ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19980227091.pdf.

This source is a NASA report done by Johnson and her co-worker Skopinski. The report is very significant to our research because this was the first time a woman ever got credit for her work. Johnson clearly broke this barrier and became the first with her hard work and persistence.

Kennedy , John F. “JFK RICE MOON SPEECH.” NASA, 12 Sept. 1962, er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/ricetalk.htm.

This source is a very well-known speech John F Kennedy gave about the United

States going to the moon. It is significant to our research because it shows the tensions America had with the Soviet Union and how we needed to beat them in the Space Race. His words also influenced the passion he had of spaceflight, giving Americans a push in the direction of helping defense industries to make the dream come true.

Khrushchev, Nikita. “Speech by Khrushchev at the United Nations General Assembly.” Wilson Center Digital Archive, United Nations General Assembly, 23 Sept. 1960, digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/155185.

This source is a speech that Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union, gave to the United Nations General Assembly Pressures between these two countries were very high and both countries were determined to beat each other in the race to the moon. This speech is important to our exhibit because it shows how the Soviet Union provoked America causing more tensions between them, this would cause them to work much harder to beat their counterpart.

NACA. “NACA Logo.” 1915. Smithsonian Institution. https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/9978hjpg. Accessed January 4, 2020.

Before NASA, the company was called NACA and mainly focused on airplanes and weaponry. This is the official logo of NACA, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. This source is important to our research because it gives us the background of the company and how it continued to evolve over the years.

NASA. “A Human Computer Hidden No More.” 1966. https://www.nasa.gov/langley/100/launching-the-space-race-katherine-johnson. Accessed January 11, 2020.

There are not many pictures of Katherine Johnson working at NASA because her story wasn’t understood as significant in her time and was often overlooked. In this rare photo of her, she is at her desk calculating numbers for Freedom 7’s landing coordinates. This photo is essential because it displays Johnson's work conditions during her time at NASA.

NASA. “Apollo 11 Launches.” 1969, https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/this-week-in-nasa-history-apollo-11-launches-july-16-1969a.html. Accessed January 4, 2020.

This is a picture of the Saturn V about to take off for the Apollo 11 mission. It is important to our research because it gives us a reminder of just how important Johnson's work was. If she were to make a mistake millions of dollars and human lives were at risk.

NASA. “Katherine Johnson at NASA Langley Research Center.” 1966.

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/katherine-johnson-at-nasa-langley-research-center. Accessed January 7, 2020.

This is a picture of Katherine Johnson working at the Langley Research Center. Langley was prestigious during this time because it was mainly caucasian and male dominated. There was a group of African Americans but they were hidden, segregated to their own building. Johnson was a big part of the team and was able to break out of the social norm.

NASA. “Katherine Johnson Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom.” 2015, https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/langley/katherine-johnson-receives-presidential-medal-of-freedom. Accessed January 7, 2020.

This is an article about how Katherine Johnson received the medal of freedom from Obama in 2015. She was awarded this from all the hard work she performed at NASA which resulted in the nation's success. This medal is very important because only people who have achieved so much that the president recognized their work could receive this award. This is why the medal of freedom is a big deal. This photograph that is displayed on our board is important because it displays the hard work she has made during her lifetime.

NASA. “Liftoff of Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 Mission.” 1961, https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/liftoff-of-alan-shepards-freedom-7-mission. Accessed January 11, 2020.

This is a picture of the rocket used by the first American Man in space as he traveled into the atmosphere. We included this picture because Katherine Johnson helped to ensure the success of this mission.

NASA. “Mathematician Katherine Johnson at Work.” 1966.

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/mathematician-katherine-johnson-at-work. Accessed January 7, 2020.

This is a picture of Katherine Johnson working at her desk in 1966. It gives us an idea of what the working conditions were like for her at NASA.

NASA. “NASA Langley’s Katherine Johnson Computational Research Facility Officially Opens.” 2017, https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/nasa-langley-s-katherine-johnson-computational-research-facility-officially-opens. Accessed January 4, 2020.

This picture is important because it shows the building named in honor of Katherine Johnson. This facility will help continue to advance space discoveries

and technologies for future missions. NASA. “NASA logo.” 1959.

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/symbols-of-nasa.html. Accessed January 4, 2020

This is the official logo of NASA created in 1959. Today, this logo can be easily recognized around the world. This is important because it represents the company Katherine Johnson worked for.

NASA. “One Small Step, One Giant Leap.” 1969,

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-one-small-step-one-giant-leap. Accessed January 4, 2020.

In this picture, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong are on the moon. Johnson was responsible for calculating paths to get to the moon and responsible for the trajectory and speed for the rocket. This picture shows the success of NASA and all of their workers including Johnson.

NASA. “Sign of Progress: Street Renaming Puts NASA Headquarters on Hidden

Figures Way.” 2019, https://www.nasa.gov/feature/sign-of-progress-street-renaming-puts-nasa-headquarters-on-hidden-figures-way. Accessed January 4, 2020.

This is a picture of the unveiling of the Hidden Figures street. The street is being named after the book that highlighted the important lives women had in the space race. One of the women that played an important role was Katherine Johnson. The NASA building now lies upon this street.

NASA. Ted Skopinski and Katherine Johnson. 1985, crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/File:1985-L-01543.jpg. This shows a picture of Ted Skopinski and Katherine Johnson. Johnson and Skopinski worked together in the space task force. Johnson was the first ever woman to be credited on a NASA report and Skopinski was there to help her succeed. This photo serves importance because it shows how Johnson broke barriers in NASA.

NASA. “West Area Cafe.” 1944. crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/File:WestArea-Cafe.jpg.

Accessed January 4, 2020.

This image shows the West Area cafeteria. While African Americans worked at Langley, they were all expected to use segregated restrooms and eating spaces. We also found this picture of Katherine Johnson working at her desk, as she smiles at the camera. These two pictures give us an insight of segregation that occurred at NACA and Johnson’s work condition.

NASA. “West Building.” 1948. https://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/File:WestArea-Cafe.jpg. Accessed January 11, 2020.

This is an important picture because it shows us the West Building at Langley NASA. African American “computers” for NASA were confined to work in this space only. The picture gives us an idea of working conditions for Black people at NASA. This is important to our exhibit because it shows the barriers that Katherine Johnson had to go through during her career there.

New Journal and Guide. Paving The Way For Women Engineers. 8 May 1943.

This newspaper article shows women who were part of the first engineering course in Hampton University. While engineering was a male dominated career, the feminism and power of these women would change the idea that only men could be engineers. This is essential for our board because it shows how women got into the workforce during Katherine Johnson’s era and shows the context during that time.

The Pittsburgh Courier. "Lady Mathematician Played Key Role in Glenn Space Flight."

Mar. 1962, p. 19, www.newspapers.com/newspage/40842527/. Accessed April 20, 2020.

This source is a newspaper from 1962 about Johnson's calculations for the Glenn flight. The newspaper is significant to our research because it shows how she was vital to the mission. It is also important because at this time she starts to get the credit she deserves for all of her hard work at NASA.

Richmond Times-Dispatch. ‘Bury Jim Crow.” 1963,

www.virginiahistory.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/civil-rights-movement-virginia/world-jim-crow. Accessed April 20, 2020.

This source is a picture of African American men protesting Jim Crow, wanting to put an end to it. Segregation and Jim Crow laws have been making it difficult for African Americans from getting jobs and living their life normally. This is significant to Johnson because it shows how bad the problem was with all the people protesting. It also shows how they started to stand up for themselves and Johnson eventually became part of that act too. This is important to show on our exhibit because it shows the obstacles that Johnson and African American people had to go through back in the day.

Roosevelt, Franklin D. “Executive Order 8802: Prohibition of Discrimination in the

Defense Industry.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, 1941, <www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/?dod-date=625.> Date Accessed

November 23, 2019.

This is an executive order signed by Franklin Roosevelt that banned discrimination in work industries. The order shows that racism was rampant. In order for enough resources to be supplied to the US during the war, a law needed to be made so people of all colors could work together. This was one of the reasons why Johnson was hired at NASA. Even though this law was in effect, Johnson’s story proves that racism still existed in the workplace.

Shetterly, Margot L. Interview by Michel Martin. "Hidden Figures." Author Interviews,

NPR, 25 September 2018 https://www.npr.org/2016/09/25/495179824/hidden-figures-how-black-women-did-the-math-that-put-men-on-the-moon. Accessed December 18, 2019.

This is an interview on the author of the book “Hidden Figures,” which is written about women computers but is mainly focused on Katherine Johnson. The author recalls the most historic moments in Johnson’s life and explains why this group of women were so important to NASA. We learned that as Katherine worked hard, she proved herself to others and became someone everyone admired.

Shetterly. “Hidden Figures.” 2017, http://www.hiddenfigures.com/. Accessed December

14, 2019.

This is the book that gave Katherine Johnson and other women the recognition they deserved for the work they performed at NASA. The book became so popular, that it became a movie loved by all. The book and the movie are now part of Katherine Johnson’s legacy.

Smith, Yvette. “The Making of the Apollo 11 Mission Patch.” NASA, 14 July 2016, www.nasa.gov/feature/the-making-of-the-apollo-11-mission-patch. Accessed January 17, 2020.

This patch shows the mission where the first men walked on the moon. This is also a mission where Johnson was a vital part of the calculations on their trajectory and landing.

Wynes, Charles E. "The Evolution of Jim Crow Laws in Twentieth Century Virginia."

Phylon 28, no. 4 (1960): 7-10. Accessed April 20, 2020.

This journal article is important to our research because it gives us a man's first-hand experiences to how Jim Crow laws were woven into the system. Moreover, this is from Virginia, the place where Katherine Johnson grew up and worked at. We can conclude that this journal shows what she was experiencing too.

Secondary Sources Blitz, Matt. “The True Story of 'Hidden Figures' and the Women Who Crunched the

Numbers for NASA.” Women Who Crunched Numbers For NASA, Popular Mechanics, 3 Feb. 2011, www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a24429/hidden-figures-real-story-nasa-women-computers/. Accessed November 16, 2019. This article shares the real story of the “Hidden Figures.” It describes the early days of the company NACA and how it eventually got turned into NASA. This source is helpful with our project because it explains how Katherine Johnson and other women got their jobs and how racism was put to an end in their working quarters.

Clemons, Antony. “Racial Relations - NasaCRgis.” NASA, NASA, 26 July 2011,

crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Racial_Relations#cite_note-9. Accessed November 16, 2019. This source helped us understand the history of racial barriers at NASA. It showed how the administration at NASA dealt with problems that arose from racism and how their attitudes changed over time. We learned about the Jim Crow Laws and how it affected African American workers at Langley. Eventually, all employees at Langley were considered equal and important.

Dalsimer, Joshua. “What To Wear On Mars.” IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News, Monica Herger, 15 June 2009, spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/space-flight/what-to-wear-on-mars.

This photo shows Dava Newman, a MIT professor who is giving a very extreme makeover to the old drab spacesuits. She was very inspired by Katherine Johnson and her power as a woman. Newman is on our exhibit to show how Katherine Johnson inspired and improved the lives of women.

Drake, Nadia, and NASA. “Historic Pictures Show the Hidden Women of the Space

Race.” Historic Pictures Show the Hidden Women of the Space Race, National Geographic, 23 Dec. 2016, www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/12/hidden-figures-nasa-computers-women-katherine-johnson-space-science/. Accessed November, 23, 2020.

This is an article that describes how Johnson joined NASA at the beginning of the space race. All the work she completed was vital to the United States success in sending men to the moon. This is important because it tells us the beginning of Johnson’s career

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Katherine Johnson.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 Aug. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Katherine-Johnson-mathematician. Accessed November 16, 2019.

This article shows us a description of Johnson’s career at NASA, mainly focusing on her achievements. We learned that NASA named a building after her called the “Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility.” This source showed us the legacy that Katherine Johnson left behind for others.

Ferguson, Brian F. Statue Of Katherine Johnson. West Virginia, 25 Aug. 2018.

www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/katherine-johnson-immortalized-with-statue-on-wv-state-university-campus/article_faaaff7b-e452-5de5-8612-892a64a514bd.html. Accessed May 15, 2020

This statue is very important to our exhibit and to our hearts. The statue will commemorate Katherine Johnson and her inspiring life. While we were working on this project we grew to love our girl Kathy. But, when we heard she passed away on February 24, 2020 we were heartbroken. This statue and all other forms of art will live on and her memory will never be forgotten.

Gale. "Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson." Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 61,

Gale, 2019. Gale In Context: Biography, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1606003687/BIC?u=hawaiistatepub&sid=BIC&xid=a764fd64. Accessed 9 Dec. 2019.

This article taught us even though men and women both worked at NASA and had similar qualifications, men were considered professionals while women were the sub-professionals. Women also didn’t get credit for their work. This source is important to our research because Johnson broke through these obstacles and became the first woman in NASA history to get her name in a report.

History.com Editors. “Jim Crow Laws.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 28 Feb. 2018, www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/jim-crow-laws. Accessed November 23, 2020. This article about Jim Crow Laws show us they are very important when uncovering the racism that was going on at NASA. Even though President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8022, which prevented racial discrimination in defense industries, Jim Crow laws were still in affect in Virginia. This is what caused segregation at NASA, and this is why the West Section for African American Computers was built.

History.com Editors. “The Space Race.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 22 Feb.

2010, www.history.com/topics/cold-war/space-race. Accessed November 23,

2020.

This source is an article that describes the events of the Space Race that took place during the Cold War in the Mid-1950s. It is very important for our research because it shows the working atmosphere Johnson faced and the pressures NASA felt during the race against the Soviet Union. When the United States astronauts landed on the moon in the Apollo 11, it officially ended the race and America emerged victorious.

Jackson, Molly. “Katherine Johnson Was a STEM Trendsetter before There Was

STEM.” The Christian Science Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Nov. 2015, www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1123/Katherine-Johnson-was-a-STEM-trendsetter-before-there-was-STEM. Accessed December 28, 2020. In this article we learn Johnson’s love of math at an early age. In college she showed promise in math, and her professor created a class just for her to help her on her journey of becoming a research mathematician. After she retired from working at NASA, she continued to go around to schools and speak about her life and encouraged others to pursue STEM careers too.

Lewin, Sarah. “NASA Facility Dedicated to Mathematician Katherine Johnson.”

Space.com, Space, 5 May 2016, www.space.com/32805-katherine-johnson-langley-building-dedication.html. Accessed November 30, 2019. From this article we learned about the new structure Langley was building dedicated to Katherine Johnson. It will be a data center for engineers and scientists for advanced research and development. The numbers created in this building is a part of Johnson’s legacy and may one day help the United States send a person to Mars.

Martin, Victoria St. “'Hidden' No More: Katherine Johnson, a Black NASA Pioneer, Finds

Acclaim at 98.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Jan. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/local/hidden-no-more-katherine-johnson-a-black-nasa-pioneer-finds-acclaim-at-98/2017/01/27/d6a6feb8-dd0f-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html. Accessed November 16, 2019. This article gives us an informative overview of the most important parts of her life. We learned that several people depended on Johnson's expertise in analytic geometry. This is important to our research because it shows us how much others relied on Johnson’s abilities.

Mclennan, Sarah, and Mary Gainer. “When the Computer Wore a Skirt: Langley's

Computers.” Vol. 29, NASA, 2012, pp. 25-32. News and Notes,

history.nasa.gov/nltr29-1.pdf. Accessed December 14, 2019. Before the development of electronic computers, the term “computer” was used to describe a job position designated to people who did mathematical calculations by hand. All computers working at Langley were women. This article taught us about the history of women computers. One important fact we learned was that Langley mainly started hiring women because most men were recruited for World War II.

Northon, Karen. “NASA Administrator Statement on Passing of Katherine Johnson.” NASA, 24 Feb. 2020, www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-administrator-statement-on-passing-of-katherine-johnson.

This article is a statement that NASA gave about Katherine Johnson's death. In this they express the importance of the part Johnson played in NASA history and how she impacted the community. After her recent death, this shows just how much she meant to others.

Smith, Yvette. “Katherine Johnson: The Girl Who Loved to Count.” NASA, NASA, 20

Nov. 2015, www.nasa.gov/feature/katherine-johnson-the-girl-who-loved-to-count. Accessed December 14, 2019.

This article is important to our research because it mentions an award that Katherine was bestowed upon from President Obama: The Presidential Medal of Freedom. Along with this, it reveals the work that Johnson has done in her lifetime to receive this award.

Suckow , Elizabeth. NACA Overview. NASA, 23 Apr. 2009,

www.history.nasa.gov/naca/overview.html. Accessed November 16, 2019.

From this overview we learned that before NASA, the company was originally called NACA. As NACA transitioned from planes to space travel they also transitioned to being more culturally diverse. This then turned NACA into NASA. The information from this article is important to our research and to the audience because we needed to know the background of the company Johnson works for.

Wild, Flint. “Katherine Johnson: A Lifetime of STEM.” NASA, 16 Nov. 2015,

www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/a-lifetime-of-stem.html. Accessed December 14, 2019.

This article enhanced our board by telling us how Katherine Johnson challenged the standard working ways and was willing to learn any new information that would improve her skills. Her abilities in mathematics led her to become an admired employee at NASA.