The movie Hidden Figures showed the world the black women in NASA behind some of its most important findings and research. This week, NASA announced that it has named its headquarters in Washington D.C. after one of the women who inspired the film, Mary W. Jackson, the first Black American female engineer at NASA.
“Mary W. Jackson was part of a group of very important women who helped NASA succeed in getting American astronauts into space,” said Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a statement.
“Mary never accepted the status quo, she helped break barriers and open opportunities for African Americans and women in the field of engineering and technology.”
“We proudly announce the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building. It appropriately sits on ‘Hidden Figures Way,’ a reminder that Mary is one of many incredible and talented professionals in NASA’s history who contributed to this agency’s success. Hidden no more, we will continue to recognize the contributions of women, African Americans, and people of all backgrounds who have made NASA’s successful history of exploration possible.”
Jackson started her career at NASA in a segregated West Area Computing Unit of the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The aerospace engineer would eventually go on to lead programs that would create new opportunities for women in the company. She was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2019.
“We are honored that NASA continues to celebrate the legacy of our mother and grandmother Mary W. Jackson,” said Carolyn Lewis, Mary’s daughter, in a press statement. “She was a scientist, humanitarian, wife, mother, and trailblazer who paved the way for thousands of others to succeed, not only at NASA, but throughout this nation.”