Laura Towne, Student Work

The Solution

Inspired by the movie Hidden Figures (2016)

Statement:

This photo questions attitudes and circumstances related to gender and race.  An often overlooked history is the contributions black female engineers and mathematicians made to space exploration during the 1960's.  Flashes of red, white and blue represent the American flag, highlighting the intense sense of national pride at that time.  The pearls, placed adjacent to the scientific compass, and grasped by the tie clip, represent gender and socioeconomic inequality.  The glasses hidden behind a nameless place card emphasize the way in which a black woman was meant to hide and not take credit for her contributions.  Additionally, the upside down, wrapped coffee cup illustrates the prominent racism that she would have faced every day.  The composition and patterned background were chosen to engender a sense of accuracy and structure, a sense of strict right and wrong, an ultimate truth.  On the top of the inverted coffee cup, there is an equation written on graph paper.  The word "equation" contains the base word "equal", indicating that numbers are blind to gender and race.  These remarkable women sought the truth and the solutions.  They met adversity with intelligence, hard work and grace.  They paved the way for future generations.  Our progress is not always as complete or as rapid as we would like it to be.  Recognizing these women allows us to see from where we came, so that we can adjust our compass for the future.