Gender Equality & Race Issues in Film Hidden Figures

   The problem of gender equality and differences in skin color is still common in society especially in black women. Many of these black women's struggles were made into films to motivate them that being different doesn't mean being demeaned. One of the films that depicts the resistance of black women is "Hidden Figures," a film by Theodore Melfi. In this article , I want to explain how the resistance of black women is portrayed through the film "Hidden Figures," by Theodore Melfi.

According to UNICEF Glossary of Terms and Concepts  (2017, p.3) "The concept that women and men, girls and boys have equal conditions, treatment and opportunities for realizing their full potential, human rights and dignity, and for contributing to (and benefitting from) economic, social, cultural and political development." In this film is when Mary (Janelle Mone) is assigned to be the first black female engineer at NASA. Mary must navigate layers of racist bureaucratic hurdles in her quest to become an engineer. At first, Mary had doubts because it would be very difficult for her to get a reference letter based on the situation at that time, women were still rarely majored in engineering. Even though she believes she has the same abilities as the men who work there. Dorothy (Octavia Spencer) struggles for a long overdue promotion, while the arrival of an IBM machine intimidates her computer team out of work. Women consistently think higher than their higher-ranking counterparts (usually white men), whether by learning a new programming language, solving problems in wind tunnel experiments, or calculating narrow launch windows for space missions.

There's so much going on with black people getting justice, freedom, and attraction to them. "White supremacy has historically been based on a system of permitted exploitation and oppression of continents, nations, and people of color by white people." Lawrence and Kehler (2004, p. 2). Here Lawrence and Keller explain that the highest power in history has become a story in society when white people oppress black people. In conclusion, the oppression of white people has become an open world secret so that in order to get justice, black people must fight back. In this film is when Katherine (Taraji P. Henson) at that time she asked where the toilet was, and was answered that there was no toilet for black women so she had to go to the black people building which was outside her office. Finally she dared to say that she was also tired of having to run to another building just to go to the toilet and she couldn't use the office facilities. And finally the boss smashed the white toilet sign saying "at NASA we have the same color of pee."

 
In this article, it is clear that there are still many unfortunate incidents that occur to women, especially black people. And the movie Hidden Figures is just one example of injustice happening. With differences, humans should be able to complement each other, not demean each other, because every human being has its advantages and disadvantages. No matter if it is black or white, man or woman all have the right to deserve respect.