To be honest with you all, I’ve been holding off on watching Hidden Figures until I could go see it in theaters. I’m so proud of myself, for choosing to see this movie in person and not stream it illegally off the internet. While I typically have no qualms about doing so, something about this film demanded that I give my money. Maybe because it was a cast of black women, maybe it was because it was a beautiful story of perseverance and resilience. Or maybe it was because a movie made by black people, for black people requires my fiscal contribution*

While this movie accomplished its mission to normalize black women in stem fields, it always reminded me of the joys of sisterhood and elevated friendships. Over the course of my three years at Cornell, I’ve been privileged to surround myself with accomplished, intelligent and resourceful black women. There were too many moments, in this movie were I understood the struggle of being thought of as inadequate but thankfully I had the sisterhood to uplift me and remind me of my place at this predominately white university.

This movie should act as a call for the film industry to write more stories that highlight the hidden story of those who’ve greatly contributed to this country and to movements. I often wonder what other stories aren’t being told. I look at the movie, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. A movie like this shed enormous light on the race and class ethics of medical research.

I truly believe that great movies will always ;look to highlight the hidden life of a figure. Just recently discussing with a friend the logistics of the civil rights movement. While I know that the leaders civil rights activists and black power groups were competent to organize strategy, but who was the person drew the maps for the civil rights movement?  At a time when you couldn’t use google maps to coordinate the marches or the walkouts. Who was she or he? Who was the person that understood the city so well that they could chart a march that would bring the city to a halt, garner the most attention, and out the least amount of lives at risk.

It’s time we re-evaluate those who are writing the history of the world and why they highlight some stories over others. I hope that going forward we begin to take a critical eye to the histories we’ve come to accept as true.

*Rose actually paid for this movie. But regardless, money was going towards this movie compared to a free streaming.