Nasa's headquarters in Washington, D.C, will be renamed Mary W. Jackson, in tribute to the first black woman engineer of the United States space agency.
"Mary W. Jackson was one of a group of very important women who helped NASA successfully send American astronauts into space"said Jim Bridenstine, administrator of the US space agency (NASA), in a statement.
"Today, we are proud to present the NASA headquarters building to Mary W. Jackson. It is located on the "path of the hidden figures", which reminds us that Mary is one of the many incredible and talented personalities in the history of NASA who contributed to the success of this agency. Never again hidden, we will continue to recognize the contributions of women, African-Americans and people from all walks of life who have helped build NASA's successful story to explore", he added to highlight the efforts of people from all walks of life.
NASA's headquarters in Washington will therefore be renamed after its first African-American engineer, Mary W. Jackson.
"We are honored that NASA continues to celebrate the legacy of our mother and grandmother Mary W. Jackson"said Carolyn Lewis, daughter of Mary."She was a scientist, humanitarian, wife, mother and pioneer who paved the way for thousands more to succeed, not only at NASA, but throughout this nation".
Who was Mary W. Jackson?
Mary W. Jackson was born and raised in Hampton, Virginia. After finishing high school, she obtained a double degree in mathematics and physical science at the Hampton Institute in 1942. The young woman accepted, first, a job as a math teacher in Calvert County, in the Maryland. Then, she worked as an accountant and then as a secretary in the American army before her aerospace career took off.
And it was in 1958 that Mary W. Jackson became the first black aeronautical engineer for the space agency. For almost two decades, during her engineering career, she wrote or co-wrote numerous research reports, most of which focused on the behavior of the boundary layer of air around aircraft. In 1979, she joined the Langley federal women's program, where she worked as a frenzy to recruit and promote the next generation of female mathematicians, engineers and scientists. Mary W. Jackson retired from Langley in 1985.
"Passage of the Shadow Figures"
In full introspection, the United States pays attention to the place given to the African-American population in society and the systemic racism which strikes them and perpetuates inequalities.
In 2019, NASA had already renamed the street serving its headquarters "Hidden Figures Way " ("Passage of the Shadow Figures") in honor of Mary W. Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan, three black mathematicians, whose work, documented in the film "The Shadow Figures", has proven invaluable in the American space conquest.
"NASA facilities across the country are named after people who have dedicated their lives to pushing the boundaries of the aerospace industry. The nation is beginning to realize the need to honor all the diversity of people who contributed to the creation of our great nation. Over the years, NASA has strived to honor the work of these hidden figures in various ways"concludes Jim Bridenstine.