Johnson started her career as a math teacher. Teaching is one of the most powerful ways to keep on learning. Johnson later expressed gratitude for Clayton for supporting her career path.ģ. He even developed special classes just for Johnson to prepare her for a career in mathematics. Claytor encouraged Johnson to become a mathematician, even though at the time there were only 100 women in the profession. He was the third Black person to earn a Ph.D. While in college, Johnson jumped on the opportunity to learn from William Schieffelin Claytor. She showed Johnson that it was possible to be a Black woman in this white, male-dominated field. Turner King was one of the first Black women in America to earn a Master’s degree in mathematics and chemistry. As a high school student, Johnson took a class with Angie Turner King. Instead of trying to study on her own, Johnson developed a network of mathematicians who supported her and inspired her. Consistently questioning the rules was a core principle followed by Katherine Johnson.Ģ. For instance, while the cafeteria was segregated by race, Johnson and her colleagues often ignored the signs telling them where to sit. In addition to gender discrimination, Johnson also had to fight against racism. As time went on, her male colleagues increasingly relied on her insights. She was the only woman to participate in these meetings. Since there was no such law, Johnson persistently asked her colleagues to attend the meetings until they eventually let her in. Johnson famously questioned her male colleagues about this rule, asking if there was a law against women in meetings. Despite being indispensable contributors to space flight programs, Johnson and her Black female colleagues were not allowed to attend meetings about their projects. Because things have been working a certain way doesn’t mean they ought to stay the same. Three principles in particular have been recurring themes in her life and work.ġ. There are many lessons we can learn from Katherine Johnson’s incredible career and her experiences as a Black female mathematician. This article is part of the Brilliant Thinkers series, which explores the thought processes, working habits, and decision-making principles applied by intellectuals who profoundly impacted the world with their discoveries and the way they challenged the status quo. In 2015, Johnson won the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to space programs, and Hidden Figures was adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film. However, no one knew who she was for decades until Margot Lee Shetterly documented Johnson’s extraordinary career in the book Hidden Figures. Johnson developed a reputation for precision and was never afraid to ask questions. Her equations sent the first American into space, allowed John Glenn to orbit the Earth, and let Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin explore the moon safely. Then in 1953, Johnson became a part of a group of Black women mathematicians known as “human computers” at the Langley Research Center. She started taking classes at West Virginia State College at 13 years old and started her career as a math teacher. Katherine Johnson was always passionate about mathematics.
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