The Whole Staircase: Films Celebrating 400 Years of African American History & Culture
Hidden Figures (2016)
Science professor, Jill Leggett, selected Hidden Figures for inclusion in The Whole Staircase Film Series.
Professor Leggett received her Master's degree from the University of South Florida and joined the SJR State faculty in 2015.
Screening Dates and Locations
Screening Presented by Professor Jill Leggett
Date & Time: October 9, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.
Location: Palatka Campus, Building A, Valhalla Hall
All are welcome to this free event!
If you need an interpreter, please contact Dr. Will by September 26, 2019
Screening Presented by Dr. Aaron Knowles and Professor Jill Leggett
Date & Time: October 16, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.
Location: Orange Park Campus Library, room L-111
All are welcome to this free event!
If you need an interpreter, please contact Dr. Will by October 2, 2019
Screening Presented by Professor Jill Leggett with by Professor James McCaughern-Carucci
Date & Time: October 23, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. October 16 at OPC and October 23 at SAC.
Location: St. Augustine Campus Library, room L-112
All are welcome to this free event!
If you need an interpreter, please contact Dr. Will by October 9, 2019
Film Information - Hidden Figures
"As the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson crossed all gender, race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American heroes." - vendor's summary
Run time: 127 minutes
This film is rated PG for thematic elements and some language.
Closed captioning available.
Resources for Further Exploration - Hidden Figures
Online Resources
The True Story of “Hidden Figures,” the Forgotten Women Who Helped Win the Space Race from Smithsonian
The Story of NASA’s Real “Hidden Figures” from Scientific American
'Hidden Figures': 'The Right Stuff' vs. Real Stuff in New Film About NASA History from space.com
How 'Hidden Figures' Came Together: Interview with Author Margot Shetterly from space.com
NASA honors 'hidden figures' who helped John Glenn orbit the Earth from ABC News
From Hidden Figures to Modern Figures website made by NASA after the film's release
Resources at the SJR State Library
Books may be checked out by community patrons as well as SJR State students faculty and staff. If a title is located at another campus, the book may be sent to another campus upon request.
Please note: eBooks are only accessible to currently registered SJR State students, faculty, and staff via MySJRstate due to licensing restrictions. DVDs may only be checked-out to current SJR State students, faculty, or staff.
Hidden Figures by Call Number: St. Johns River/Palatka Circulation -- QA27.5 .L44 2016
St. Johns River/Orange Park Circulation -- QA27.5 .L44 2016ISBN: 9780062363596Publication Date: 2016-09-06"Before John Glenn orbited the earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as 'human computers' used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South's segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America's aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly, these overlooked math whizzes had a shot at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam's call, moving to Hampton, Virginia, and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. Even as Virginia's Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white counterparts, the women of Langley's all-black 'West Computing' group helped America achieve one of the things it desired most: a decisive victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and complete domination of the heavens" - publisher's description
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Call Number: St. Johns River/Palatka Children's Books -- QA27.5 .L44 2018ISBN: 9780062742469Publication Date: 2018-01-16"Explores the previously uncelebrated but pivotal contributions of NASA's African American women mathematicians to America's space program, describing how Jim Crow laws segregated them despite their groundbreaking successes. Includes biographies on Dorothy Jackson Vaughan (1910-2008), Mary Winston Jackson (1921-2005), Katherine Colman Goble Johnson (1918-), Dr. Christine Mann Darden (1942-)." - publisher's description- Hidden Figures DVDCall Number: St. Johns River/St. Augustine Audio-Visual -- PN1997 Hidden_ Figures DVD
St. Johns River/Palatka Audio-Visual -- PN1997 Hidden F54 2017 DVD
St. Johns River/Orange Park Audio-Visual -- PN1997 HiddenFig 2017 DVDISBN: 024543275336
Celebration • Education • Reflection
H.R.1242/Public Law 115-102, the 400 Years of African American History Commission Act, establishes 2019 as a year of "commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in the English colonies, at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619." The commemoration is intended “to recognize and highlight the resilience and contributions of African-Americans since 1619; to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on the United States; and to educate the public about the arrival of Africans in the United States; and the contributions of African-Americans to the United States.” In recognition of this commemoration and with the Act serving as a guide, the SJR State Library has organized a year-long series of events that will provide educational experiences and resources to students and the community that celebrate the history and culture of African Americans.
Site created and maintained by Dr. Christina Will. Pages will be added and maintained throughout 2019.
Maintenance will cease at the end of 2019 but this site will remain accessible.