Katherine gave in to the wonder of the moment, imagining herself in the astronauts' place. What emotions welled up from the depths of their hearts as they regarded their watery blue home from the void of space? How did it feel to be separated by a nearly unimaginable gulf from the rest of humanity yet carry the hopes, dreams, and fears of their entire species there with them in their tiny, vulnerable craft? Most people she knew wouldn't have traded places with the astronauts for all of the gold in Fort Knox. The men existed all alone out their in the void of space, connected so tenuously to Earth, with the real possibility that something could go wrong. But given the chance to throw her lot in with the astronauts, Katherine Johnson would have packed her bags immediately. Even without the pressure of the space race, even without the mandate to beat the enemy. For Katherine Johnson, curiosity always bested fear. Margot Lee Shetterly
About This Quote

The quote is taken from the book "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly. The book tells the story of three women, Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who helped the United States win the space race during the 1960's. The women are known as "The African American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race. The three of them were part of a team that was responsible for calculating rocket trajectories for NASA. These people are very hardworking and they are so focused on their work that they don't have time to think about their future. John William Waterhouse - Dick Whittington "Dick Whittington went to London to be a squire, but he saw so much poverty among his neighbors, he became a merchant."

Source: Hidden Figures: The American Dream And The Untold Story Of The Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win The Space Race

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