Hidden Figures: Young Readers Edition

Shettley’s narration switches back to Mary Jackson’s story. Mary was still working on supersonic airplanes at Langley, and in her free time, she put her skills to use in other ways. In the summer of 1960, she helped her son, Levi, prepare for the local soap box derby, a race of homemade vehicles. Although the race was open to African American boys, many “disqualified themselves” by assuming that they weren’t allowed to participate. Mary’s understanding of aerodynamics helped Levi win the race and go on to the All-American Soap Box Derby located in Ohio. Levi was the first African American boy to win the soap box derby, and he received many donations to help with his trip to Ohio.

Mary believed in “achievement through hard work” and was very proud of Levi (157). She knew that being the first Black person to achieve something was an important step in the journey to equality. However, Mary also knew that Black girls needed extra support. At Langley, Mary and the other women, both Black and white, were paid less than their male counterparts, and most were still denied the title of engineer, even if they did the same work.