Movies That Matter Discussion: "Hidden Figures"

Join Edward McNulty, editor and film reviewer at Visual Parables, and Ken Bedell, founder of Ending Racism USA, for a lively and thoughtful discussion of movies that matter.

When screenwriters and directors address subjects like racism, they may help us see reality and discover something about ourselves. Movie discussions are a good environment to learn from others and test our experiences and understandings.

These discussions are intended for anyone who wants to explore racism as it exists and consider – with others – the implications for our lives. Diversity of backgrounds and experiences will enrich the discussions.

Please plan to watch each movie before joining the online discussion. Resources for each film/movie will be provided. Registration is free and required.

February 7, 2023: “Hidden Figures”

“Hidden Figures” is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by Theodore Melfi and written by Melfi and Allison Schroeder. It is loosely based on the 2016 non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly about African American female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the Space Race.

Katherine Johnson works at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia in 1961, alongside her colleagues Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan. The three African American women work as mathematicians at NASA and the unit is segregated by race and sex. White supervisor Vivian Mitchell assigns Katherine to assist Al Harrison's Space Task Group, given her skills in analytic geometry. She becomes the first Black woman on the team.

The three women fight against the barriers of racial segregation in the Jim Crow south and struggle for professional recognition from their white male colleagues.

Review and discussion guide for “Hidden Figures” by Edward McNulty (PDF)