HIDDEN FIGURES
Theodore Melfi, 2016, 127 min
With: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner

Before rockets could break the sound barrier, Black women mathematicians were already bending space and time. Hidden Figures follows the behind-the-scenes race to launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit, powered by the extraordinary work and forgotten brilliance of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. As NASA hurtles toward the Space Age in the late 50s and 60s, orbital mechanics, hand-calculated trajectories, and razor-sharp math become tools of both scientific triumph and social change.

Astrophysicist Dr. Moiya McTier will introduce the film and speak about these first Black women who made waves in their fields, and, more importantly, about those who followed. This introduction will serve as an epilogue to the film, celebrating the brilliant women who were able to follow on the lightly trodden paths of Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Katherine Johnson.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Moiya McTier 
Dr. Moiya McTier is an astrophysicist, science communicator, and folklorist, described as a “folklorist to the stars, and astrophysicist to the folks.” Sitting at the intersection of science and storytelling, fact and fiction, complex concepts and chaotic creativity, she is known for her sharp wit and infectious enthusiasm, connecting complex science to history, race, and the joy of discovery.