"The life that inspired Hidden Figures" --Cover.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 221-235).

In 2015, at the age of 97, President Barack Obama awarded Katherine Johnson, whose life inspired the movie "Hidden Figures", the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom--the nation’s highest civilian honor--for her pioneering work as a mathematician on NASA’s first flights into space. In this memoir, she shares her personal journey from child prodigy in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia to NASA human computer. In her life after retirement, she served as a beacon of light for her family and community alike. Her story is centered around the basic tenets of her life--no one is better than you, education is paramount, and asking questions can break barriers. Infused with the uplifting wisdom of a woman who handled great fame with genuine humility and great tragedy with enduring hope, this book ultimately brings into focus a determined woman who navigated tough racial terrain with soft-spoken grace--and the unrelenting grit required to make history and inspire future generations.