Trending
Many residents of the Tri-State Area, especially those who live in West Virginia, already know what a treasure the late Katherine Johnson was, and how important she and her colleagues were to the successes the United States had at the beginning of the space race.
The White Sulphur Springs native and West Virginia State University graduate was among those who were known as human computers by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and then the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Their work helped put a man on the moon.
Though Johnson had already received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, Congress did the right thing by honoring her along with Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson -- the Black women who were the "hidden figures" who handled NASA's calculations. The group was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal Wednesday.
"The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor that Congress can bestow upon any group or individual," House Speaker Mike Johnson said. "We give it to show our national appreciation for the achievements and contributions of great Americans."
And these women had certainly earned it.
"It's been said Katherine Johnson counted everything, but today we're here to celebrate the one thing even she couldn't count," said U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. "That's the impact she and her colleagues have had on the lives of students, teachers and explorers."
Continued celebration of Johnson and her fellow human calculators is richly deserved. Her example must serve as inspiration for upcoming generations of West Virginians, and a reminder that there is nothing stopping anyone from aiming for the stars.