Celebrating the “Hidden Figures” of Black History

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Lori-Ann Harrington
Lori-Ann Harrington,  serves as Associate General Counsel and Co-leader of the Pentair Black Employee Network

02/28/2022

Celebrating the “Hidden Figures” of Black History

BEN Event Blog Post Image with Employees and Dutchess Harris

Black History Month is a time to celebrate diversity and recognize the achievements of Black and African American people and culture in our communities, country and around the world.

Pentair is committed to becoming a more inclusive workplace, and as part of our Black History Month celebration, the Pentair Black Employee Network (BEN) hosted a virtual discussion about the movie “Hidden Figures.” This powerful movie highlights the life of unsung female African American NASA mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson.

We were excited to be joined by Professor Duchess Harris, J.D., Ph.D., the granddaughter of another remarkable NASA mathematician, Miriam Daniel Mann, who worked alongside Katherine, Dorothy and Mary. She shared real life stories from her grandmother that are not captured in the movie, her research findings on NASA’s human computers, and how the legacy of these women paved the way for generations to come. Pentair employees got the opportunity to share their thoughts about the movie and ask Professor Harris questions. Among the “hidden” stories she shared:

  • A pivotal scene portrayed in the movie is when the character of Al Harrison, played by Kevin Costner, dramatically removes the “colored” sign for the restroom. In reality, it was Professor Harris’s grandmother that removed this sign, and with little fanfare.
  • The deed to the land for the NASA Langley Research Center shows that it sits on the property of a former plantation. It is incredible to realize that when the Black female mathematicians started their work in the 1940s, it was less than 80 years from when their ancestors would have been slaves on the property. However, as depicted in the movie, it is also important to remember that the work environment was completely segregated, with most white employees unaware that there were Black employees working at the site.
  • By the 1960s, NASA recognized the importance of Black women and men in building their workforce. They hired African American actress Nichelle Nichols, best known for her portrayal of Nyota Uhura in Star Trek, to help with recruitment efforts at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).

One of the lasting impacts of “Hidden Figures” is that it not only educates everyone on the significant contributions of Black and African American NASA mathematicians, but it also provides representation and validation for Black and African American individuals with careers in STEM-related fields, including those working here at Pentair.

In honor of Black History Month, the BEN asked Pentair employees to share the stories of Black and African American figures that have made important contributions to our world. I invite you to take a few minutes to read and learn more about these important, and perhaps less well-known, pioneering figures.

African-American civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (1912 - 1987) talks to a reporter during the Harlem Riots in Manhattan, 23rd July 1964. (Photo by Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Express / Stringer via Getty Images


Bayard Rustin
Bayard was a civil rights activist and advisor to Martin Luther King Jr.  His belief in non-violent tactics and peaceful protesting was influential to the thinking associated with the approach of Martin Luther King.  He kept his role as advisor to MLK hidden from public eye because he was a gay man, but eventually became a public advocate for gay rights.


TONI STONE
She was the first of three women to play professional baseball full-time.

15th September 1980: Sidney Poitier , the American actor and film director. Hollywood's first real black star, his films include 'Something of Value' in 1957, 'Lilies of the Field' in 1963 and 'In the Heat of the Night' in 1967. He directed 'Stir Crazy' in 1980. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)

Evening Standard / Stringer via Getty Images


Sidney Poitier
Mr. Poitier broke barriers in the film industry as #1) a Black man playing lead roles in major films, #2) the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor, and #3) playing roles that were controversial for the times.


In a famous monologue in the movie Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Mr. Poitier plays the son of a mail carrier and says to him, "The difference between you and I is you think of yourself as a Black man and I think of myself as a man." One of many  favorite quotes from his remarkable movie career.


HENRIETTA LACKS
Ms. Lacks made important contributions to scientific research and disease prevention, without her consent or knowledge, and without benefiting in any way. There is now a foundation in her name to assist individuals and their dependents that have been impacted by studies without consent. Grants are given for items like healthcare, tuition, and job training.

A Photograph of Mansa Musa, King of Mali on a map of North Africa circa 1375. (Photo by Fotosearch/Getty Images)

Fotosearch / Stringer via Getty Images


Mansa Musa
The richest person in history ruler of the Mali Empire from 1312 C.E until his death in 1337 C.E.


JESSE RUSSELL
He led the first team from Bell Laboratories to introduce digital cellular technology in the United States, which made many of our modern cellular phone capabilities possible.

1989: General Colin Powell, the first African-American to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Photo by MPI/Getty Images)

MPI / Stringer via Getty Images


Colin Powell
Black History Month is a great reminder that I need to learn more about the incredible people who changed the United States and the world, like Colin Powell, the first African-American Secretary of State, whose 13 rules of leadership really resonate with me.


DR. REV. VINCENT HARDING
Dr. Rev. Harding was preaching in an interracial church on the south side of Chicago during the late 1950's. After touring the hot spots of the south in 1958 in mixed company and visiting Martin Luther King Jr., he began to work with/for Dr. King as a speechwriter and supporter. P.S. He and my father became good friends and later my younger brother was named in his honor.


LOYOLA RAMBLERS MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
1962-1963: They achieved breaking the college basketball "agreement" that only two Black players could be on the playing floor during the game. 


HARRIET TUBMAN
Harriet had the gifts of bravery, discernment, courage and love. She cared enough about the injustice of the African American race to risk her very own life and freedom to not only set herself free, but to go back for so many other people. I will forever be inspired by her history because I too have a similar vision, which is to remain in the pursuit of progress for our African American people.

Portrait of African-American orator and civil rights activist Sojourner Truth (1797 - 1883), 1860s. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Hulton Archive / Staff via Getty Images


Sojourner Truth
A former slave, Sojourner, was a Civil Rights activist in the 19th century and advocated for gender and racial equality.


MARY ELIZA MAHONEY
First listed African American to study and work as a professionally trained nurse in the U.S. in 1879, she was the first African American to graduate from an American school of nursing. 

circa 1970: Thurgood Marshall (1908 - 1993), the first African-American appointed to the Supreme Court. (Photo by MPI/Getty Images)

MPI / Stringer via Getty Images


Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall graduated from law school in 1933 during a time when many African Americans did not believe they could attend college, let alone law school.  As a lawyer, he founded the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and argued several important cases before the Supreme Court.


One of those cases was Brown v. Board of Education, which held that racial segregation in public education was a violation of law.  That court decision has impacted so many children of color to this day. Finally, he was the first Black justice to the Supreme Court, which opened the door for many Black people to dream of going to law school and being lawyers and judges.


CONSTANCE BAKE MOTLEY
She was the first African American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court, and the first to serve as a federal judge.  As a front-line lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Motley led the litigation that integrated the Universities of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi among others, overcoming Southern governors who barred the door to African American students. She opened up schools and parks to African Americans, and successfully championed the rights of minorities to protest peacefully.

MONTGOMERY, AL - MAY 1956: Civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. relaxes at home in May 1956 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer via Getty Images


Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. King was a pioneer for reasons some people may not be familiar with. He was a masterful American orator who had a unique way of articulating the painful repressive and oppressive actions African Americans have been facing in this country.


He spoke in a manner that inspired Black people across the country to hold onto hope that his "dream" would one day be fulfilled, while also educating White Americans about the history and wrongdoings that created the inequities that still exist to this day.

If you revisit some of his interviews with the news media and other noteworthy speeches, you will recognize a scholar who supported his powerful speeches with facts and data in a way that were indisputable.

Dr. King was not only a pioneer for his nonviolent activism and civil rights leadership, but also for his ability to educate the country that Black excellence exists but does not have to be a threat to the existence of White America. He believed the two can coexist in harmony and the day that racism and inequality are eradicated will be the day where we will join hands and the display of unity will be powerful.


RUBY BRIDGES
It is easy to give up when you walk alone and have no precedent. Ruby Bridges was the first African American child to go to an all-White school in the south at the age of 6. It was hard to make friends, but she did not give up. She is an inspiration to many and a beacon of bravery and hope.

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 12: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been converted to black and white.) An alternative view as Misty Copeland walks the runway at The American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Red Dress Collection 2016 Presented By Macy's at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on February 11, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Frazer Harrison / Staff via Getty Images


Misty Copeland
Misty was the first Black principal dancer for American Ballet Theater. She inspired thousands because she broke every single stereotype with such grace, and just had amazing artistry. I've personally looked up to Misty since I was a little girl. Misty's message is that you can start late, look different, be uncertain and still succeed. I think that's so important for so many of us to hear. 

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