Post 1 (invitation and guest list)
Guest List
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson was invited because her work at NASA was vital to the success of the friendship 7 flight. Without Katherine double checking the "go-no-go coordinates" the landing could have ended up much different. It would be really interesting to know how she felt once everyone started warming up to her and started treating her as an equal. For example, she had to run a mile to go go to the bathroom and come back to her job everyday because there were no colored restrooms in the building she worked in. After she told Al Harrison, a fictional character in the movie, he took the signs down and made no segregated anything.
Katherine Johnson was invited because her work at NASA was vital to the success of the friendship 7 flight. Without Katherine double checking the "go-no-go coordinates" the landing could have ended up much different. It would be really interesting to know how she felt once everyone started warming up to her and started treating her as an equal. For example, she had to run a mile to go go to the bathroom and come back to her job everyday because there were no colored restrooms in the building she worked in. After she told Al Harrison, a fictional character in the movie, he took the signs down and made no segregated anything.
Dorothy Vaughan
Dorothy Vaughan was the first African American supervisor at NASA and was the supervisor for the IBM team of about 30 women. She had always wanted to be a supervisor but they had never let her because she was African American. She was even called one of the most amazing women at NASA. When she was told she was getting a different job she declined because it was just her. She said she wouldn't go without her team so they said yes to her team coming to help with the IBM and that was the start of everything. That's why I think she's so important to have at the dinner because of how she persuaded them which led to her success.
Dorothy Vaughan was the first African American supervisor at NASA and was the supervisor for the IBM team of about 30 women. She had always wanted to be a supervisor but they had never let her because she was African American. She was even called one of the most amazing women at NASA. When she was told she was getting a different job she declined because it was just her. She said she wouldn't go without her team so they said yes to her team coming to help with the IBM and that was the start of everything. That's why I think she's so important to have at the dinner because of how she persuaded them which led to her success.
Mary Jackson
I'm inviting Mary Jackson because she was the first African American women to be an engineer at NASA. She had to go to court to get admitted into an all white school take some courses that were required to be in their engineering program. The book she wrote had such an impact and brought a hidden story to the surface about the African American women working at NASA that worked as the West Computing group. She was so determined to become an engineer and she achieved what she wanted for fighting for it and not giving up even when "the finish line is moved" is what she said when they told her she needed classes at a segregated school. It would be great to talk to her about how she felt always having things in her way yet still succeeding.
I'm inviting Mary Jackson because she was the first African American women to be an engineer at NASA. She had to go to court to get admitted into an all white school take some courses that were required to be in their engineering program. The book she wrote had such an impact and brought a hidden story to the surface about the African American women working at NASA that worked as the West Computing group. She was so determined to become an engineer and she achieved what she wanted for fighting for it and not giving up even when "the finish line is moved" is what she said when they told her she needed classes at a segregated school. It would be great to talk to her about how she felt always having things in her way yet still succeeding.
John Glenn
As the pilot of the friendship 7 flight I thought it was very important to invite John Glenn. He successfully orbited the earth 3 times out of the 7 that was supposed to happen. I think it would be a good idea to have him attend because you could ask him how he felt about the role that African American women played in his launch and if he felt any different about the three women than the other NASA workers did. He seemed to like Katherine a lot and trusted her a great deal because when the IBM machine was having different landing coordinates he said to get the girl to do it.
As the pilot of the friendship 7 flight I thought it was very important to invite John Glenn. He successfully orbited the earth 3 times out of the 7 that was supposed to happen. I think it would be a good idea to have him attend because you could ask him how he felt about the role that African American women played in his launch and if he felt any different about the three women than the other NASA workers did. He seemed to like Katherine a lot and trusted her a great deal because when the IBM machine was having different landing coordinates he said to get the girl to do it.
Margot Lee Shetterly
Margot Lee Sheerly is the author who wrote the Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race. She is a native of Hampton, Virginia and she knew many of the women in the story of Hidden Figures. It would be really cool to get to talk to her and see how she feels about how her book turned into such a successful movie. I'd also love to talk to her about her relationship with the people behind the story of Hidden Figures to see how close she was with them and how much she wrote was true or altered in any way.
Margot Lee Sheerly is the author who wrote the Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race. She is a native of Hampton, Virginia and she knew many of the women in the story of Hidden Figures. It would be really cool to get to talk to her and see how she feels about how her book turned into such a successful movie. I'd also love to talk to her about her relationship with the people behind the story of Hidden Figures to see how close she was with them and how much she wrote was true or altered in any way.
Kevin Costner (Al Harrison)
I chose to invite Kevin Costner. When research was done to show the real story behind Hidden Figures, research showed that the character Kevin plays, Al harrison, is not just one person. His character is based on three different NASA Langley directors. The reason this happened was because Mr. Melfi couldn't get the rights to the guy he really wanted. So instead he just combined them. I would love to know how Mr. Costner felt about playing three different guys in one. There are a few things that Al does in the movie like take down the colored signs that I'm curious who did that, or when she kind of yells at him for having to run in the rain. It would have been nice to be able to know who did and had what said to them.
I chose to invite Kevin Costner. When research was done to show the real story behind Hidden Figures, research showed that the character Kevin plays, Al harrison, is not just one person. His character is based on three different NASA Langley directors. The reason this happened was because Mr. Melfi couldn't get the rights to the guy he really wanted. So instead he just combined them. I would love to know how Mr. Costner felt about playing three different guys in one. There are a few things that Al does in the movie like take down the colored signs that I'm curious who did that, or when she kind of yells at him for having to run in the rain. It would have been nice to be able to know who did and had what said to them.
Paul Stafford
I invited Paul Stafford because he was the other math genius working in the same department as Katherine, and it really bothered him that she was right when he wasn't. I would love to ask him things about how work was before and after Katherine started working in his section of NASA and how he felt about being corrected by an African American woman. It seems like after the friendship 7 launch and flight was a success he became nicer and more accepting of her working with him.
I invited Paul Stafford because he was the other math genius working in the same department as Katherine, and it really bothered him that she was right when he wasn't. I would love to ask him things about how work was before and after Katherine started working in his section of NASA and how he felt about being corrected by an African American woman. It seems like after the friendship 7 launch and flight was a success he became nicer and more accepting of her working with him.
Theodore Melfi
As the director of Hidden Figures I think it would be super important to invite him to the dinner. It would be really interesting to see how much he stuck to the story and what he added/changed for the movie. Some things I would love to ask him is how he decided to film all the running and the chalkboard scenes. I learned during research that Taraji P. Henson, the actress playing Katherine Johnson, had to memorize the math, get up on the ladder, and write it all by herself. I think it was a different choice to make her do all that instead of just having a hand double.
As the director of Hidden Figures I think it would be super important to invite him to the dinner. It would be really interesting to see how much he stuck to the story and what he added/changed for the movie. Some things I would love to ask him is how he decided to film all the running and the chalkboard scenes. I learned during research that Taraji P. Henson, the actress playing Katherine Johnson, had to memorize the math, get up on the ladder, and write it all by herself. I think it was a different choice to make her do all that instead of just having a hand double.
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