Many who had not seen the film felt enlightened by the crucial efforts of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson in the success of the U.S. Space Program – coupled with the obstacles to their contributions. The screening, presented by Assistant Athletic Director and Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee (ADID) Yashiva Edwards and introduced by women’s basketball player Alexus Bryant, wrapped up a month of celebrating the efforts of several notable Black student-athlete alumni.
“I think the decision to show the movie Hidden Figures during BHM was a great idea,” Bryant said. “It provided an opportunity to show everyone the history of three phenomenal Black women and what they offered to the future. Without them we possibly could never have been able to put the most recent rover on Mars, to be able to explore space or get a man on the moon. In 1961, during a time of segregation and rampant racism and sexism, many other Black women, along with Ms. Jackson, Ms. Johnson, and Ms. Vaughan faced a lot of challenges. It was not easy, but they worked very hard and never gave up. Therefore, this amazing film, I hope, will motivate and inspire other amazing women everywhere to let them know that they have so much value to offer to the world. No matter who you are.”
“I’m so excited to work with our Black student-athletes to help NSU honor Black History Month,” Edwards said. “This year, we chose to celebrate the accomplishments in history, beyond commiserating on the adversity to reach those heights. It’s important to remember the many contributions of so many remarkable Black men and women, on our campus, in our country and abroad toward building a better society and strengthening every corner of the sports world.
“As part of Black History Month, acknowledging historic Black figures and the roles they have played in societal issues of race and civil liberties provides yet another opportunity to educate others on Black heritage, Black excellence and to hopefully eradicate many preconceived notions associated with Black culture.
“As an African-American administrator and a former student-athlete, the message I would like to share with everyone is that although I appreciate the significance of Black History Month and why it’s important for people of every heritage to pay homage to their roots, culture and traditions, Black history is more than a month – Black history it is rooted in the American story and therefore is absolutely American history.”
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