Hidden Figures: Katherine Johnson Summary

Summary of
Hidden Figures
From Margot Lee Shetterly

Katherine Johnson:
One of the Black Woman Mathematicians Who Worked with NASA on the Space Race

By Summary Station

Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson is one of the most important pioneers from the American space movement. She is a physicist and a research mathematician who has calculated orbits and trajectories for historic space missions. This includes the first flight to walk on the moon. In addition, she has assisted in developing navigation systems to guide astronauts through space. Without perseverance, her career may have never left the ground. A combination of her own determination to pursue her dreams and her father’s push to keep his children in school helped her to overcome gender and race discrimination, leading to an exceptional life filled with professional acclamations and personal fulfillment.