Thursday, March 28, 2024

Warner & Kaine Honor Dr. Christine Darden and Celebrate the Nation’s ‘Hidden Figures’

Sen. Warner honors Dr. Christine Darden and Celebrate the Nation's ‘Hidden Figures’
Sen. Warner honors Dr. Christine Darden and Celebrate the Nation’s ‘Hidden Figures’ (photo courtesy/U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner )

Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke at U.S. Capitol reception on Monday celebrating passage of bipartisan legislation to award Congressional Gold Medals to pioneering ‘Hidden Figures’ Dr. Christine Darden, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson for their work at NASA Langley during the Space Race.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award in the U.S. It is awarded to those who have performed an achievement that has had an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized in the recipient’s field for years to come. The Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act, cosponsored by both Senators, was signed into law by President Trump on November 8, 2019.

Participants in the Capitol celebration included Dr. Darden; Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race; and Donna Gigliotti, producer on the 2016 film based on the book, which was nominated for ‘Best Picture’ at the 2017 Academy Awards.

In 2017, Sens. Warner and Kaine hosted a Capitol Hill screening of the film for hundreds of Virginia students.

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