This week's reading in Hidden Figures will review some content that you might not be familiar with. 

One important thing to know is that this story takes place in Virginia, which is in the American South. 

In Chapter 6 of Hidden Figures (page 39), mechanical calculators are described. Calculators during this period were large desk models, not anything like the small electronic calculators of today, and they were noisy when in operation. 

Click on the red link below. Look at the pictures. Scroll down to the picture of a woman sitting at a desk with a large calculating machine next to her. This would be similar to the calculating machine Dorothy and other human "computers" would use. [link takes a few seconds to appear].

1940s Calculator Links to an external site.

In Chapter Six, the NAACP is mentioned once again (pages 27 and 43). A reminder, the NAACP stands for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It was established in 1909 and its mission then as it is today, is to "advance justice" to African Americans.

Please watch the following videos for historical context so you can understand Hidden Figures better. 

[Note: closed captioning is available.]

The Tuskegee Airmen - highlighted in Chapter 7

Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese on America - Dec. 7, 1941 - brought America into the war. See page 35 of Hidden Figures.

Naming as a form of Identity:

You will find different terminology used in Hidden Figures when referring to black people. Here's a very brief history of terminology.

Caucasian is a name generally referring to white-skinned people. Early names for dark-skinned people (mostly slaves) were  "negroes" and/or "colored" or "colored people" which were basically inferior racial names.  In the l960s, a more racial-neutral term was adopted that replaced those terms. The word "black," gave black people a stronger sense of pride and equality with whites. In the late 1980s in America, the term "African-American" became popular as a way to take pride in one's ethnic cultural roots (from Africa). The same could be applied to "Mexican-American," Armenian-American, Asian-American, and so forth - a way of taking pride in one's native country, but still be an American citizen.

Today, many Americans, including the media, use the term "People of Color" when referring to non-white people of this country. This term could include citizens from Latin American countries, Africa, Caribbean Islands, India, etc. It's a more acceptable term of equality for many Americans. In Hidden Figures, the author Margot Shetterly, uses the acceptable terms of "black" or "African-American" throughout the novel when referring to the main characters and their generation.

Hence, when you see a sign in this video that says "Colored Only" that means blacks were "separated" from white people during this period. The "separate but equal" situation stemmed from what was known as the the Jim Crow laws passed after the Civil War which legalized racial segregation. Blacks were free (not slaves anymore), but they were segregated from whites. Our characters in Hidden Figures dealt with this every day of their lives.

Segregation in the South - conditions for blacks during this period. Watch short video.

At the end of Chapter 8, Dorothy Vaughan went to see Marian Anderson sing at the Hampton Institute. Read the story below and watch the short video on this famous African-American opera singer.  

Click on link below for information on Marian Anderson.

MARIAN ANDERSON SINGING AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, WASH D.C.1939 Links to an external site.