Once upon a time, women had no voice in western politics and leadership. But all of that is changing, one powerful woman at a time.

Thanks to congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, a few women have finally received long-overdue accolades for their humanity-changing contributions to the world. These “hidden figures,” who had been kept silent for far too long are now being heralded as global heroes and praised with prestigious awards.

The Woman Who Made it Possible

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has accomplished more firsts than most of us can imagine. Johnson is the first woman and the first African-American to head up the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. What’s more, she was the first African-American woman to hold the title of Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the V.A. Hospital in Dallas. As if that wasn’t enough, she is also the first nurse to ever serve the Texas State House. (1)

It’s no wonder, then, that Congresswoman Johnson realized too many women and African-Americans, including a few of her personal heroes, were serving as great pioneers, yet not receiving recognition.

In February 2019, Johnson wrote the Congressional Gold Medal Act. This act would honor the hidden figures who altered humanity, yet continued to be underappreciated. In November 2019, the bill passed, which means it became public law to honor a handful of unacknowledged heroes. (2)

The Hidden Figures

As with so many women and people of color, the trailblazing scientists Congresswoman Johnson sought to honor are among many “hidden figures” who have thrust humanity forward.

Image: NASA

Dorothy Vaughan

Dorothy Vaughan served as NASA’s first African-American manager. Initially, dating back to 1949, she directed part of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. This was an era when women, especially African-American women, were not easily hired, especially in what was considered “men’s fields,” like technology. (6)

Katherine Johnson

Ms. Johnson was one of only three black students at West Virginia University’s graduate program, and she graduated with high honors in 1937. A brilliant mathematician, Johnson was one of the few people skilled enough to successfully calculate orbital mechanics for a number of U.S. spaceflights. Unlike her predecessors and colleagues at NASA, Johnson was able to master mind-boggling equations, thereby allowing her to calculate flights and plan trajectories so that crew could remain safe as they traveled to space and back. (3)

Mary Jackson

Mary Jackson spent decades working her way up to the position of Aeronautical Engineer at NASA. Though she had studied math and science in college, she initially worked as a school teacher, receptionist, bookkeeper, and full-time mom. She finally found a position at NASA, working under Dorothy Vaughan who valued Jackson for her brilliant mind instead of dismissing her because of her gender and race. (4)

Dr. Christine Darden

When Dr. Gordon, an African-American woman, asked her boss why women were not being hired as engineers at NASA, he was unable to answer her question. After years of hard work and proving herself to the men around her, she was eventually promoted as an aerospace engineer. She then spent decades at NASA creating the organization’s sonic boom research program. Gordon also directed numerous research programs at NASA, all of which contribute to today’s aerospace technology. (5)

Overdue Praise

A Congressional Gold Medal is one of the highest civilian awards a person can receive, celebrating people who have had a profound effect on American culture and history. The medal serves as a way for the United States to say “thank you” and acknowledge the recipients for the enormous contributions they made to the nation. Although Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson have passed away, the Congressional Gold Medal Act finally gives them the praise they deserved long ago, hopefully clearing the path for even more previously-unsung heroes to be honored. (2)