I’m am overly joyed to say that I FINALLY saw Hidden Figures. It was such an incredible experience and such a touching movie. I would be lying if I told you I didn’t do the most. That I wasn’t excited to see such a movie that showed how amazing women, black women can be. I would be lying if I told you I didn’t tear up a little bit, seeing such a positive image of three beautiful black women. I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t think to myself It’s about damn time we are represented in good way. Finally we aren’t playing the role of a high school dropout, mistress,  crack head, struggling single mother, home wrecker, mad black woman and any other stereotypical role we constantly seem to come across. This movie was liberating, motivating and inspirational. I can’t tell you how many times my boyfriend looked upside my head because I was so emotional. Not just because the movie was heart wrenching, but because I am truly my ancestors wildest dreams. Though things aren’t completely fair or equal, I have way more opportunities than they could have ever imagined. Thanks to them, I’ll never have to know what it’s like to be summoned to the back of the bus or be confined to areas labeled “Coloreds Only.” I’ll never have to worry about being limited to the institutions that I can attend. 

Since I was born, I have had the opportunity to be whatever I wanted to be and I am forever grateful for that. And by no means is this movie just centered around African American women. I believe this movie, this story is empowering to all women. I mean seriously, how many times have you ever heard a girl say she wanted to work for NASA? As a country, we have the tendency to give girls this image of what they are supposed to be or want to strive for. 

We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man. Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same? We raise girls to see each other as competitors not for jobs or accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. 

There are so many times in the theatre that I wanted to stand up and clap. Like yes, move aside honey….let a woman handle this. They were so educated, so strong, so driven….on their own. They wanted to do great things, change the world and change their personal situations without the motivation or reasoning of someone else. You got to see in the movie that you can be a powerful woman and still have a good man. That you can have goals, dreams and aspirations, yet still be a good mother. You don’t have to choose! You observed that no matter what obstacles, adversity or circumstances you shall face; women were made to b e n d…not break. 

I encourage everyone to go and see this movie, especially women. Grab your mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, sister….round them all up and go and see it if you haven’t.  It truly will light fire to your soul. 


Pictured from left to right: Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson, Janelle Monae as Mary Jackson and Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughn. 


“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate or heroes and she-roes.” 

-Maya Angelou