Upper School views film "Hidden Figures"
Source/Author: Tom Dillow, Head of Upper School
February 16, 2017
Last Friday, all of Upper School went to see the movie Hidden Figures at the AMC Sundial. Tom Dillow, Head of Upper School, had this to say about the field experience:
"We have decided that this is a worthy excursion for a number of good reasons. First, the film tells the compelling story of how NASA put John Glenn (who passed away in December) into orbit. There is rich material here for students of both history and science alike. Second, it offers an example of the power of collaboration and teamwork to solve real-world problems. This is consistent with our teaching and learning initiatives in the Upper School, and reinforces the successful model of multiple perspectives and creative approaches to problem-solving. Finally, it is a wonderful way to celebrate Black History Month and for our community to learn and reflect on issues of racism, sexism, and selective history."
The film explores the important contributions and challenges of three African American female mathematicians who worked at NASA (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson) during a time when Jim Crow laws and gender discrimination prevailed. The community found the film to be informative, educational and eye-opening to learn how the contributions of these women almost went unheeded because of their race and gender. Important too were follow up conversations in advisory groups about what is added to historical canon and why.
