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Hidden Figures – The three famous African-American Women Mathematicians

&bol4budr67 — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:40:34 +0000

The Hidden Story of NASA’s African-American Women Mathematicians

The United States may not have won the Space Race had it not been for the contributions of three African-American women.

World War II left the US with a shortage of male labor, leading various federal agencies to begin hiring women. In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802 into action — creating the Fair Employment Practices Committee and prohibiting race-based discrimination in hiring for defense industry jobs. Coupled with high demand for mathematicians in the defense industry at the time, it was a perfect storm of political factors that opened up new career avenues for African-American women.

One of the agencies that brought in female mathematicians was the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (the NACA, which would be dissolved and reformed into NASA in 1958). The NACA created a pool of female mathematicians (internally referred to as “the computers who wore skirts”) at the Langley Research Laboratory in Hampton, VA. At the time if you heard the term “computer” it was likely in reference to a person who performed calculations and not a machine.

In hiring women, the thinking at the time was that women’s smaller hands and attention to detail made them ideal for the sort of repetitive mathematical work that NACA required of them. Of course the women were also paid less than their male counterparts. The salary capped out at about $2,000 a year (about $20,000 today), 40% less than what white males were paid for the same work. And women were never allowed to tackle the larger conceptual and analytical work. They basically did the grunt math work for the male engineers at a time when slide rules and pencils were the dominate tools of the trade.

But even among the female workers racial lines were drawn. This was a time when Jim Crow laws were still in effect, segregating African-Americans under the auspices of “separate but equal.” African-American women were sequestered into the west area of the Langley campus – earning them the collective name, The West Area Computers. Adding further irony to the situation was the fact that the land the West Area was built on was still partially registered as a plantation. Yes, the African-American women mathematicians technically worked on a plantation.

READ MORE ABOUT NASA ON DESIGN NEWS:

10 of the Greatest Black Inventors
A Look at NASA’s Fabled X-Planes
Take a Look at the Source Code That Landed Man on the Moon

The West Area Computers attracted talented graduates from some of the nations top historically black colleges including Virginia State, Hampton Institute, and Wilberforce University. And as the launch of Sputnik heated up the Space Race, mounting pressure beat Russia to the moon, the West Area Computers would make significant contributions to the aerospace industry as well as the Civil Rights Movement.

Three of them in particular, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Winston Jackson are especially noted for their contributions and will be subjects of the Hollywood film, Hidden Figures, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae in the respective roles. The film, based on an upcoming book by Margot Lee Shetterly is set to hit theaters in January 2017.

Who were these three women who played a pivotal role in America’s space program?

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson is the big hero of our story. Born in West Virginia in 1918 she showed an early aptitude for math – graduating from high school at the age of 14 and graduating from West Virginia State college with a degree in mathematics at the age of 18. She went on to graduate school at West Virginia University, where she was among the first to desegregate the school.

In 1953 Johnson’s pursuit of a career in mathematics brought her to NACA, where she became part of the West Area Computers, working on calculations for guidance and navigation systems. For the next five years Johnson’s work caught the attention of her supervisor and fellow mathematician Dorothy Vaughan, who pushed for Johnson to be re-assigned to Langley’s Flight Research Division in 1958 when NACA transitioned to become NASA.

When NASA formed its Space Task Force – charged with getting an American astronaut to the moon, preferably sooner than later, Johnson was the only non-white, non-male member of the team. During her time there her trajectory calculations were vital to the success of several historic space missions, including the Mercury missions of Alan Shepard and John Glenn, as well as the Apollo 11 moon landing. When tragedy struck the crew of Apollo 13, Johnson was among the team of engineers working on solutions to bring the astronauts home safely.

In an 2011 interview with WHROTV, a Hampton, VA public access station, Johnson recalled that though NASA had begun using computers (machines, not people) for calculations during her time there, the feeling was that the mathematics performed by humans was more reliable. Mathematicians like Johnson were often called to double-check the work of the machines. “When [John Glenn] got ready to go up he said, ‘Call [Johnson], and if she says the computer is right I’ll take it.’ ” Johnson told WHROTV.

Johnson retired from NASA in 1986 and, despite the political climate in which she did her work, she told a WHROTV interviewer that she didn’t really feel discriminated against at NASA. “I didn’t feel the segregation at NASA, because everybody there was doing research,” Johnson said. “You had a mission and you worked on it and it was important to you to do your job.”

Katherine Johnson still resides in Hampton at the age of 98. In 2015 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for her lifetime of work. In a press release from NASA about Johnson’s honor, Charles Bolden the current administrator of NASA (and the first African-American to hold the position) said, “Katherine’s legacy is a big part of the reason that my fellow astronauts and I were able to get to space; it’s also a big part of the reason that today there is space for women and African-Americans in the leadership of our nation, including the White House.”

Dorothy Vaughan

Dorothy Vaughan (pictured right alongside other “human computers” at NACA). graduated from Wilberforce University with a degree in mathematics and worked as a high school math teacher until she was hired by NACA in 1943. While working at the Langley Research Center, Vaughan eventually became the head of the West Area Computers, with a number of talented female mathematicians working underneath her – including Katherine Johnson. Well respected in her role, Vaughan was often tapped to recommend women for various projects throughout the organization. It was this position that allowed her to recommend mathematicians like Johnson toward the prestigious work they would later take on.

A gifted mathematician in her own right, Vaughan headed up the West Area Computers for nearly 10 years. In 1958 the formation of NASA also brought an end to the segregated work units on the Langley campus. Vaughan and many other former members of the West Area joined NASA’s Analysis and Computation Division (ACD), a racially and gender-integrated group focused on research around data communications and networking. Today it is known as the Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and focuses on IT technology, including cybersecurity.

As a member of the ACD, Vaughan became a specialist in FORTRAN programming (which was a relatively new programming language at the time) and contributed to the Scout Vehicle Launch program for launching satellites into orbit. Vaughan retired from NASA in 1971 and passed away in 2008 at the age of 98.

Mary Winston Jackson

Mary Winston Jackson graduated from Hampton Institute in 1942 with degrees in mathematics and physical science. Like Vaughan she was a school teacher until she was hired by NACA in 1951 as a member of the West Area Computers (supervised by Dorothy Vaughan). In 1953 she moved to NACA’s Compressibility Research Division, which focused on high-speed flight and had already built the X-1, the first of NASA’s various, famed X-Plane projects.

Jackson’s work focused on analyzing data from real-world flight and wind tunnel experiments. After the formation of NASA in 1958, Jackson joined a special training program, after which she was promoted to an aerospace engineer and focused her work on aerodynamics research.

More than her research however, Vaughan is remembered as a champion in helping women and minorities advance their engineering careers. She was known to encourage women and minorities to undertake the necessary training to have their job function upgraded from “mathematician” to “engineer,” so that more career opportunities would be available to them.

Jackson worked as an engineer at NASA for 34 years. She eventually shifted her career away from engineering and served at NASA as the Federal Women’s Program Manager in the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs and as the Affirmative Action Program Manager until her retirement in 1985. Jackson passed away in 2005 at the age of 83 leaving behind a legacy as a trailblazer in helping African-American engineers find employment in the aerospace industry.

Watch the trailer for Hidden Figures:

Chris Wiltz is the Managing Editor of Design News

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Three pyramids that represent Orions belt in the night sky

&bol4budr67 — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 22:56:17 +0000

The Great Pyramids of Giza, located in Egypt, are a well-known ancient site that consists of three large pyramids, known as the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, as well as a number of smaller pyramids and other structures. The Great Pyramids of Giza are considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and are a popular tourist attraction.

There is a theory that the pyramids of Giza were built to align with the belt of Orion, a constellation that appears in the night sky. According to this theory, the pyramids were built to represent the three stars of the Orion Belt, with the Great Pyramid of Giza representing the central star, Alnilam, and the other two pyramids representing the stars Mintaka and Alnitak. However, this theory is not widely accepted by mainstream Egyptologists and there is no definitive evidence to support it.

One theory that has been proposed is that the ancient Egyptians used the fall equinox to align the pyramid.

The fall equinox is a specific point in time when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, moving from north to south. This occurs around September 22nd in the Northern Hemisphere and March 21st in the Southern Hemisphere. At this time, the sun appears to rise exactly in the east and set exactly in the west, which could have helped the ancient Egyptians align the pyramid with the cardinal points.

The long unconfirmed theory of the pyramids being built in line with Orion’s Belt has been confirmed by the Ministry of Antiquities. The theory states that the three Giza pyramids have been built to align with the three bright stars of Orion’s belt: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka. The Orion correlation theory has been contested for years although the theory does explain why the third, and smallest, is slightly away from the other two.

Pyramids lined up with the stars. Ancient Egyptian astronomers aligned the pyramids due north by using two stars that circle the celestial polar point. Nearly 4,500 years ago, each star was about 10 degrees from the celestial pole which lay directly between them.

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Germany has returned over 20 Benin Bronzes stolen from Nigeria

&bol4budr67 — Sun, 25 Dec 2022 00:42:37 +0000

Article was sourced from AfricaFeeds.com 25th December, 2022

Germany has returned over 20 Benin Bronzes stolen from Nigeria, back to the West African nation.

the Benin Bronzes, which are a group of sculptures and other art objects that were created by the Kingdom of Benin in what is now modern-day Nigeria. The Bronzes were created between the 13th and 19th centuries and are known for their intricate and highly detailed designs. Many of the Bronzes were taken from Benin City during a military expedition by the British in 1897 and were subsequently sold or given away to museums and private collectors around the world.

In recent years, there has been ongoing discussion and debate about the ethical and moral implications of the looting and removal of the Benin Bronzes and other cultural artifacts from their countries of origin. Some people argue that these objects should be returned to their countries of origin, while others believe that they should remain in the museums and institutions where they are currently housed.

Regardless of one’s perspective on this issue, it is important to recognize and respect the cultural significance of the Benin Bronzes and the rich history of the Kingdom of Benin. It is also important to consider the impact of colonialism and the ways in which it has affected the cultural heritage of many nations around the world.

The Bronze’s were auctioned off and then spread among institutions from New Zealand to Germany and the United States, with the biggest collection in London.

Last year, Germany said it would hand over these artifacts taken away from Africa by Europeans during the colonial period. It was keeping them in its museums.

Germany had signed a declaration with Nigeria earlier this year to release all 1,130 Benin Bronzes in German public museums.

Nigerian foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama and information minister Lai Mohammed, Germany’s minister for culture and media Claudia Roth as well as directors of museums in Germany were present at the handover event.

“Today we are taking a step that was long overdue: We are returning 20 Benin bronzes from German museums to where they belong, to their homeland,” Baerbock told reporters in Abuja.

Nigeria’s information minister called on the British Museum to release the more than 900 Benin Bronzes it has.

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President Magufuli Farewell

&bol4budr67 — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 20:42:41 +0000

Chato Former President John Magufuli will be buried today in his hometown of Chato in Geita Region.

Dr Magufuli will be laid to rest after several days of paying last respects that saw to Chato residents being overwhelmed by grief when it was their turn to bid farewell to the departed leader yesterday.

Actual burial will take place after prayers that will be attended by between five and ten bishops, according to the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ms Jenista Mhagama.

Members of Dr Magufuli’s family are expected to take the body to their church for final prayers and last respects early in the morning tomorrow, Ms Mhagama said.

“People are advised to arrive at the Magufuli Stadium as early as 6am. At around 7.30am, we expect leaders to start arriving at the stadium – and the last to do so will be President Samia Suluhu Hassan,” said Ms Mhagama.

Read the rest of the article at this link

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Namibia Rejects Germany’s Puny Reparations Offer for Genocide

&bol4budr67 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 23:54:27 +0000

Unknown author, Ullstein Bilderdienst, Berlin/Wikimedia Commons
A group of Herero people chained during the 1904 rebellion.

Allafrica.com
12 August 2020

The Namibian president has said a German offer of compensation for colonial-era mass killings needs to be “revised.” Among other things, he objected to the terminology used by Berlin.

Namibian President Hage Geingob on Tuesday turned down Germany’s offer of €10 million ($11.7 million) in reparations for the genocide committed by the German Empire at the start of the 20th century.

“The current offer for reparations made by the German government remains an outstanding issue and is not acceptable to the Namibian government,” Geingob said in a statement after a briefing on the status of negotiations. He added that the government’s special envoy, Zed Ngavirue, would continue to negotiate for a “revised offer.”

Geingob also took exception to Germany’s use of the term “healing the wounds” in place of the word reparations, saying the terminology would be debated further.

No apology so far
The two countries began negotiating an agreement in 2015 that would see Germany give an official apology and development aid as compensation for the killing of tens of thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people by German occupiers in 1904-1908.

Namibian President Hage Geingob.

In June, President Geingob suggested that Germany would offer an unreserved apology. However, Berlin is yet to do so, despite acknowledging that its colonial authorities perpetrated the atrocities.

Germany has repeatedly refused to pay direct reparations, instead pointing to the millions of euros it has given to Namibia in development aid so far.

‘First 20th century genocide’

Historians say some 65,000 of the 80,000 Herero and at least 10,000 of the 20,000 Nama died in what is widely accepted as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Germany ruled the colony from 1884 to 1915. Namibia then came under South African rule for 75 years, before gaining independence in 1990.

This article has been amended to emphasize that the mass killings in Namibia are considered genocide.

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The First Reparations March 1st August 2014

&bol4budr67 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 23:04:34 +0000

REPARATION March onto Parliament 1st August 2014 ( Black Friday )

Posted on 28th July 2014 by afiwe

Mission statement of Rastafari Movement UK & REPARATION & REPATRIATION COMMITTEE

The R.M.(UK) R.R.C will endeavor to:

Incite acknowledgement of the inhuman treatment inflicted on Afrikans against their will by Europeans and others in their money-making quests. Raise Awareness of the repercussions of the TransAtlantic Traffic in Enslaved Afrikans (TTEA) that are still felt by Afrikans today.

Launch a multi-layered strategic claim for Reparation as part of Restitution for the children of the Afrikans captured and taken to be enslaved on the plantations of the West Indies, North America and Brazil work with the appropriate organisations to develop an effective economical, social and cultural programme that will facilitate a viable option for Afrikans that are due Restitution

100,000 SIGNATURES ARE NEEDED NOW!

https://galaxyafiwe.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Videos/THE-BIG-QUESTION-Reparations.Esther-Sandford.mp4

Click here to sign the petition online

THE UNDERSIGNED MAKE THE FOLLOWING HEARTFELT DECLARATION

The immoral and inhuman treatment inflicted on Afrikans by the money-making Europeans has never been addressed.

The racist mindset which fueled the Transatlantic Traffic in enslaved Afrikans from the 15th to the late 19th century has not been terminated.

The lack of accountability by those responsible confirms the ongoing racism which creates disproportionate detriment to the offspring of the millions of individuals that were stolen from Afrika.

Today the offspring of the stolen Afrikans encounter direct and indirect racial discrimination daily. This results in poverty, lack of education, unemployment, imprisonment and ill health.

The damage that continues to be inflicted on the continent of Afrika also needs to be addressed in a structured and effective manner.

The blood, sweat and tears of our Ancestors financed the economic base of the United Kingdom. Therefore it is just and fair that Reparation be made to their offspring.

Offspring that have been subjected to atrocious attempts to obliterate their Afrikan heritage, culture and identity. This has created a degree of self-hate and a lack of identity and self esteem.

Reparation must be a viable option for any Descendant of Afrikans captured, enslaved and financially exploited by the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations (UK) and their European counterparts.

RASTAFARI MOVEMENT UK Announcement

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AFRIKAN REPARATIONS

&bol4budr67 — Tue, 24 May 2016 19:23:31 +0000

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African Black-owned car manufacturers

&bol4budr67 — Wed, 18 May 2016 18:55:12 +0000

For quite some time, it was very unusual to hear about any Black-owned car manufacturers. But as the demand for vehicles kept increasing in various countries, several African entrepreneurs saw it as an opportunity to enter the automobile industry and produce their own Africa-made cars that are now available in the market.
Here are 3 Black-owned car manufacturers that you should know about:

#1 – Kantanka: This brand has been hitting the roads of Ghana, where it is manufactured, and the rest of Africa, for some time now. Its inventor and owner, Ghanaian Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo, partnered with a Chinese company to produce high-quality cars that are designed specifically for Ghana’s local conditions.

#2 – Innoson: This Nigeria-based company, founded by Chief Dr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma, is the first to mass-produce cars in Nigeria. They manufacture luxury mini buses and trucks at an affordable price and that corresponds to the needs of an average car user.

#3 – Kiira: Initially invented by students in Uganda, this company now produces electric hybrid cars with the support of the Ugandan government. The Kiira EV Smack is a cost-effective car that can be powered by either electricity or diesel.

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ACU Cooperative Collective

&bol4budr67 — Wed, 18 May 2016 19:43:34 +0000

The ACU Mission

Our Aims and Objectives

To empower African people by building a finance and knowledge network where resources and information can be pooled and utilised for the benefit of all members of the community, through education, livelihood development, and asset accumulation.

To help African people build the economic basis required for their psychological, political and cultural renewal and well being. To visit our website click this link.

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