NASA to Honor ‘Hidden Figure’ Mary W. Jackson During Headquarters Naming Ceremony

By  //  February 26, 2021

nasa & space news

ABOVE VIDEO: NASA to Unveil the Mary W. Jackson Headquarters Building.

(NASA) – Acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk will lead a ceremony at 1 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 26, officially naming the NASA Headquarters building in Washington in honor of Mary W. Jackson.

The event will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website and will Livestream on the agency’s Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as the NASA app.

The work of Jackson and others in the West Area Computing Unit caught widespread national attention in the 2016 Margot Lee Shetterly book “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.”

The book was made into a popular movie that same year, and award-winning actress Janelle Monáe portrayed Jackson.

Acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk will lead a ceremony at 1 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 26, officially naming the NASA Headquarters building in Washington in honor of Mary W. Jackson. (NASA image)

Members of Jackson’s family and other guests will join Jurczyk for the ceremony, including:

■ Clayton Turner, NASA Langley center director
■ Christine Darden, retired NASA engineer and “Hidden Figure,” as profiled in Shetterly’s book
■ Artist Tenbeete Solomon, also known as Trap Bob
■ Wanda Jackson, granddaughter of Mary W. Jackson

In addition to unveiling a building sign with Jackson’s name, the event will feature video tributes with reflections on Jackson’s career and legacy from a variety of individuals, including William R. Harvey, the president of Hampton University, Jackson’s alma mater, as well as family and friends, current and former NASA employees and astronauts, celebrities, elected officials and others.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROFILE: Mary Jackson Hired in 1951, Was First Black Female NASA EngineerRelated Story:
BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROFILE: Mary Jackson Hired in 1951, Was First Black Female NASA Engineer

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