Marian and I recently took our daughters to see the movie "Hidden Figures."  If you haven't seen it, you really should.  It is the true story of three African-American women who worked for NASA in the 1960s, during the height of the Civil Rights era.  It showcases the story of Katherine Goble Johnson,  a brilliant mathematician who calculated flight trajectories for NASA's Project Mercury.  It was a touching dramatization of how intellect, hard work, and character can overcome deep-seeded prejudices.

 

Today, many of our modern-day "Hidden Figures" really aren't hidden any more.  It doesn't take much effort to look around and see the incredible accomplishments of African-American women in our local communities.  Here in Baton Rouge, we just elected our first African-American female Mayor-President, the Honorable Sharon Weston Broome.  She is supported by a cast of strong local female leaders in the city such as Senators Regina Barrow and Yvonne Colomb, State Representatives Barbara Carpenter, Patricia Smith, and C. Denise Marcel, plus a host of African-American women on the Metro Council such as Chauna Banks, Erika Green, Donna Collins Lewis, and Tara Wicker.