Copley Library Annual Report 2017-2018

Black Women of NASA Event Draws Crowd to Copley

Working together to collaborate on a joint community program to celebrate Black History month, San Diego Public Library and USD welcomed Duchess Harris, PhD, for a discussion about black women who worked at NASA in the 1940s. Dr. Harris is the chair of the American Studies department at Macalester College and author of Hidden Human Computers: The Black Women of NASA . Her grand mother, Miriam Mann, was one of the 11 black women “human computers” at NASA. This incredible story received international attention after the Hollywood film adaptation, Hidden Figures , was released to great critical acclaim in 2016.

From left to right, San Diego Public Library Director Misty Jones, Dr. Duchess Harris and Dean Byrd.

The role of these women as “human computers” was to check the math of the male engineers. As Harris made clear, “if you can check the math, you can probably do the math.” It was not until the 1960s that women were able to join the ranks of engineers. The SDPL’s auditorium event attracted more than 150 people on February 24; 200 students, faculty, staff and community members filled Copley Library’s Mother Hill Reading Room on February 26. Harris’ lecture truly brought the university and San Diego communities together on the mesa.

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Annual Report | 2017-18