NASA’s headquarter building named after ‘Mary W.Jackson’

NASA has named it’s headquarter building at Washington D.C after its first African American Female Engineer Mary W.Jackson. The announcement was made on 24^th June 2020 by the Administrator of NASA. The story of success of Mary W.Jackson was shown in the 2016 biographical drama Hidden Figures.

The street outside the headquarters of NASA at Washington D.C was renamed as Hidden Figures Way in 2019.

Mary W.Jackson

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics recruited Mary W.Jackson in 1951. The Committee was replaced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958.

Mary W. Jackson started her professional career as a research mathematician at the Langley Research Centre of NASA. Later she was promoted to become the first African American female engineer at NASA.

At the time when Martin Luther King, Jr. was fighting against discrimination (race, religion, national origin) in the United States, Mary W. Jackson quietly the barriers in the field of engineering and technology. She opened opportunities for African Americans and as well as for women by not accepting the status quo that existed in the society.

Mary W.Jackson died in 2005. By naming the headquarter in her name, NASA has ensured that her contribution made by her for the women, African-Americans, and people of all backgrounds will be recognized for years to come.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2020