If you were a targeted minority, how would you feel with such insolence? Would you stand up for your rights, or limit your acts- laying out your unheard voices to be seized-utterly defenseless, and vulnerable? It is essential that the film, ‘Hidden Figures’, is embraced in the Silenced Voices festival, exposing the story of Katherine Johnsen, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughn in a male dominant environment, thriving to fulfil their dreams. The director, Theodore Melfi, targets minorities, displaying the values and timeless aspects that these modern composers endure. Highlighted concepts associate racial segregation, in which impacts one to feel like an ‘outlier’ of society, hence, isolated. Whilst injustice impacts an individual into feeling inferior, alienated, and restricted in their own community.
I firmly believe that racial segregation impacts one to feel isolated. Racial segregation is one of many obstacles African Americans encounter as minorities. Additionally, the film ‘Hidden Figures’ exposes the ideology of individuals fighting for their rights to an equal and just society, as well as the malicious judgement being confronted in their daily lives, yet managing to surmount in the face of adversity, empowering individuals to verbalize and advocate for the rights and possessions of marginalized groups, while exposing the defects in society. The close-up of the library scene shows Dorothy being affronted by the librarian, considering she’s an African American woman, exhorting her to seek for the book she was after in the ‘colored section’. The frame shot of the bookshelf acts as a barrier, separating both Dorothy and the librarian, symbolizing the mistreatment towards African Americans, causing these minorities to feel sequestered in the material world, and accentuating the division evident in humanity between both racial groups. Subsequently, the symbolic signs of ‘morally wrong’, ‘presence of segregation in absence of democracy’, and the passionate facial expressions, reveal the persistent attitude needed to overcome the hardship of being silenced. Finally, Dorothy and her crew are proudly marching as a team through the halls of NASA to their promoted positions as IBM programmers. Dorothy, after waiting for a long-deserved promotion, to the role of supervisor, at last receives an offer. She ultimately speaks up not only for herself, but for her entire team, that she won’t be “accepting the reassignment unless I bring my ladies with me”; this indicates unity. Imagine how the world could change if we all had such initiative to speak up for others as well as ourselves! Overall, we develop to empathize with the characters in the film and establish a connection with them. Therefore, it is significant that ‘Hidden Figures’ is incorporated into the festival of Silenced Voices.
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I vehemently believe that injustice influences individuals into feeling subordinate and constricted. Nonetheless, encouraging them to build confidence and pride, striving to flourish and succeed. In the film, Theodore Melfi provides a glimpse of the systematic inequities, and evokes the arduous courses faced in the dejected lives of minorities, such as racism and gender inequality. Ultimately, establishing determination, whilst persevering on the path of prosperity, and achieving their goals, regardless the prevailing circumstances. Mary's application to be an engineer is rejected by the border of NASA due to her female African American identity and can’t go to the university needed to qualify. Vivian Mitchell standing, while the African American woman are seated, shows her dominance in power. Moreover, Mary's unimpressed facial expression in the close-up shot, judges her disappointment that “every time we have a chance to get ahead, they move the finish line”, proving her emotions and willingness not to give up. The working conditions at NASA for African American women at the time were discriminative, degrading and demoralizing. Furthermore, Katherine is forced to use the ‘colored’ bathroom, which is a half-mile away and then gets reprimanded for ‘taking breaks’. The shot of Katherine’s displeased facial expression depicts her overwhelmed emotions, also enabling self-confidence to speak-up, stating that “there are no colored bathrooms in this building… I work like a dog, day and night”; this manifests her determination and commitment to persevere. Despite all the injustices at their jobs, the women in the film take tremendous pride for their association with NASA. Mary petitions the Virginia State Court for the right to enroll in engineering classes at the local segregated high school, making an impassioned plea to the judge for his help, making her the first female engineer at NASA, reminding him that he was the first in his family to join the Armed Forces and to attend college. The use of mise-en-scene shows Mary courageously standing in the middle of the courtroom, demonstrating her determination to face the challenge, which is further exemplified in the next shot, exhibiting the vector between Mary and the judge, and illustrating her strong character. Winning the case, overall denotes that anyone can succeed, despite who or what they are, also building an interwoven relation with the characters of the film. Thus, it is imperative that ‘Hidden Figures’ is included in the festival of Silenced Voices.
At its core, we are reminded of the destructive consequences of discrimination, also informing us to manage and excel. The film is based off the microcosm of three independent individuals, working for NASA, pursuing the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, while confronting obstacles as African American women, inhibiting their professional progress and collectively representing a minority group fighting for equal rights. As Napoleon once stated: “The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good”.
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