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AFP
Mary Jackson became NASA’s first black female engineer in 1958
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said Jackson had helped break down barriers for African-Americans and women in engineering and technology.
The story of Mary Jackson was told in the 2016 film Hidden Figures. Born in Hampton, Virginia, she died in 2005.
Last year, NASA renamed the street outside its headquarters “Hidden Figures Way”.
“Never again hidden, we will continue to recognize the contributions of women, African-Americans and people from all walks of life that have made NASA exploration successful,” said Bridenstine in a statement.
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“Mary W Jackson was one of a group of very important women who helped NASA successfully send American astronauts into space,” said Bridenstine.
“Mary never accepted the status quo, she helped break down barriers and open up opportunities for African-Americans and women in engineering and technology.”
This decision comes at a time of introspection across the United States over the historical injustices suffered by African Americans.
The recent death of George Floyd in police custody has sparked protests around the world and renewed calls for an end to institutional racism.
NASA began recruiting African American women with university degrees in the 1940s as “human computers,” but they experienced both racial and gender discrimination at work.
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Mary Jackson was recruited in 1951 by the National Aeronautical Advisory Committee, which was succeeded by NASA in 1958. She worked under the direction of Dorothy Vaughan – whose story was also told in Hidden Figures – within of the west area computing unit in Langley, Virginia.
Jackson died in 2005 and in 2019, she received the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously.
Her daughter Carolyn Lewis said the family is honored that NASA continues to celebrate the legacy of Mary Jackson.
“She was a scientist, a humanitarian, a wife, a mother and a pioneer who paved the way for the success of thousands more, not only at NASA, but throughout this nation,” she said. declared.
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