The Center at Belvedere in Charlottesville will host a special screening of the Academy Award-nominated film, Hidden Figures, on Tuesday, July 19, at 4 p.m.
The screening will be followed by an interview and book signing from 6:30–8 p.m. with Margot Lee Shetterly, the author of “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race,” on which the film is based.
Both events are free and open to all.
“I am delighted that this film is being shown at the center. I hope everyone will share our enthusiasm about the opportunity to not only see the critically acclaimed movie, but to meet Margot Lee Shetterly, who was inspired to research and record yet another example of African American contributions to this country,” says Enid Krieger, chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at the center.
In the film Hidden Figures, an all-star cast brings the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—three African American women working as mathematicians at NASA—to life. Set in 1960s Hampton, Virginia, the women use their mathematical skills to help the United States achieve a victory over the Russians in space even as they fight against the barriers of racial segregation in the Jim Crow south and struggle for professional recognition from their male colleagues.
Writer, researcher, and entrepreneur Shetterly, who lives in Charlottesville, grew up in Hampton. Her father was a scientist at NASA Langley Research Center, and she was catching up with him about some of his co-workers in 2010.
“Why haven’t I heard this story before?” is the question Shetterly’s husband asked. It is the question that inspired her to write the book and continues to inspire others to uncover the many fascinating stories of those who have made vital yet unrecognized contributions to every facet of American life.
For more information visit www.thecentercville.org
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Crystal Graham
