17 Best Hidden Figures Quotes

Hidden Figures is a film about groundbreaking women played by actresses who are remarkable women in their own right, so much so that the film won an award for best cast. Hidden Figures stars Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson, Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson, and Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughn.

The movie itself is partly fictional in terms of the narrative, but the bulk of the major details are based on real-life hard-won achievements of these three groundbreaking women. The movie focuses on hope and unity, but taking a look at some of the most memorable lines will show that the writers aimed not to completely sugar-coat the very real hardships that these women were up against.

Updated on February 6th, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: Hidden Figures marks an important moment in the history of America. It’s no wonder Disney is now looking into the possibility of turning the story into a musical. The space race captured the attention of the world, but so did the Civil Rights Movement, and the story of the real-life women in the middle of both historic moments is a compelling one. Race, gender, and scientific progress are all addressed in the movie.

John Glenn Refused To Launch Without Katherine

“If She Says [The Numbers] Are Good, Then I’m Good To Go.”

The astronauts being sent into space on test flights had to have complete faith in the people sending them there. John Glenn, however, didn’t have faith in the team of men sitting in the conference room. Instead, he had faith in Katherine Johnson after seeing her work the math first-hand.

In fact, he refused to launch until Katherine double-checked everyone else’s math, including the actual computer brought in to eliminate all of the handwork. His trust in her was monumental at the time.

Al Harrison Wants His Team To Work Smoothly

“We All Get To The Peak Together, Or We Don’t Get There At All.”

Al Harrison might initially be blind to the way Katherine is treated by the other men in the office, but once his eyes are open, he doesn’t have time for the pettiness the scientists and mathematicians throw her way. He makes it very clear that everyone on the team has to work together.

As he points out, they can’t send men into space safely if their work isn’t flawless. In order for that to happen, they have to work together and trust one another to do their best job. His team doesn’t openly defy him after that.

Dorothy Understands Changes Are Coming

“There’s Only One Thing To Do: Learn All We Can.”

If there’s one character who is always looking ahead, it’s Octavia Spencer’s Dorothy. She understands that progress can be a double-edged sword. Dorothy is the one who has the vision to understand what the IBM means for her “computers.”

Dorothy is the supervisor of the women of color in charge of computing mathematical equations for NASA, though it takes a long time for her to get any kind of supervisor credit. When she learns that the IBM can do thousands of calculations in the time it takes the women to do one, she declares that they all have to study up on the new machine. Without Dorothy’s understanding of what’s coming, her entire department would have been out of a job.

Mary Never Sugar-Coats Reality

“We Go From Being Our Fathers’ Daughters To Our Husbands’ Wives To Our Babies’ Mothers.”

Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary are women who have their intelligence and their careers in mind. They want to provide for their families, but they’re all hampered by the way the world sees them.

Mary has to deal with the men around her not believing a woman can be an engineer; Katherine gets off on the wrong foot with her future husband when he thinks working at NASA would be too taxing for a woman. The women are used to being defined by the men in their lives, and they work incredibly hard to change it.

Al Harrison Commits To Getting To Space

“Whoever Gets There First Will Make The Rules.”

Al Harrison is instrumental in helping Katherine have a long career with NASA. He has a reputation for being hard on his computers, and no one is sure Katherine will last in his office. Harrison, however, wants one thing more than anything: to get men into space successfully.

Harrison’s quote here is made during a meeting about the space program. He’s referencing the Russians putting a man in space first, but his words really apply to the world of Hidden Figures. The women at the center of the story are hampered by the rules made by the white men who got to positions before them. Harrison tries to eliminate hurdles to Katherine’s success because, in his eyes, color isn’t important in getting to space – the math is what’s important. The rest of the world might not see things that way.

Katherine’s Teacher Gives Her A Chance To Succeed

“I Have Never Seen A Mind Like Your Daughter Has. You Have To See What She Becomes.”

Before Katherine works as a computer at NASA, she’s a little girl with a head for numbers. The state of the United States means that a young person of color would have a hard path to an education. The teacher who sees potential in Katherine, however, wants to make sure that she has a chance to go as far as possible.

Not only does her teacher reach out to high schools to get Katherine a better education, but the church takes up a collection to help Katherine’s parents make the move closer to the school that wants Katherine there. The community bands together to make sure a little girl has a fighting chance to succeed in a difficult world, and without that, Katherine might never have made it to NASA.

Mary Brings A Lightness To The Discussion Of Equal Rights

“It’s Equal Rights. I Have The Right To See Fine In Every Color.”

While most of the lines referencing the Civil Rights Movement in the movie are of the dramatic variety, there is a lot of humor. Mary is often the one to bring a little lightness and sarcasm to what could be a serious situation.

When the women are introduced to the astronauts they’ll be helping to send into space, John Glenn in particular stops and chats with them. Mary takes a moment to admire the men’s appearances when they’re introduced, and after Katherine admonishes her for it, Mary gives her own spin on the equal rights they’ve all been fighting for. Mary can’t be faulted for admiring smart and charismatic men who actually trust their work.

Mary Discusses The Reality Of Her Situation

“Would You Try To Be An Engineer If You Were A White Man?”

“I Wouldn’t Have To. I’d Already Be One.”

Mary is talking to one of the NASA engineers about the issues with a contraption. She instantly sees what is going wrong with the machine and what needs to be done for it, proving herself as an obvious choice for an engineer – and yet the likelihood of her being one is slim, purely due to her skin color and gender.

Mary never shies away from the reality of her situation. She knows she’s brilliant and that if given the chance, she could be exactly what she wants to be, but it takes a little more prodding for her to take the plunge and attempt it.

Katherine Finally Tells Al Her Grievances

“I Have To Walk To Timbuktu Just To Relieve Myself!”

Katherine spends what seems like most of her time on-screen running through hallways, across parking lots, sometimes through the rain, and always toting a huge pile of books, just to be able to go to the bathroom.

It never occurs to her boss how inconvenient her life is compared to that of her co-workers – all of them white males who have a toilet close by and who, on top of taking their ease for granted, also make Katherine’s life more difficult and humiliating by forcing her to use a separate coffee pot than the rest of the staff. It’s not until Katherine explains why she’s missing from her desk so often that Harrison begins to understand.

Dorothy And Mary Prepare To Speak To Police

“No Crime In A Broken Down Car.”

“No Crime Being Negro, Neither.”

The girls are stuck on the side of the road with a broken-down vehicle. When a police officer beings to approach them, Mary tenses up and barks at the girls to pay attention and prepare themselves.

Dorothy makes the point that having a broken-down car is no crime, and so they shouldn’t be worried, but Mary points out that it’s technically no crime to be Black, and yet it’s still treated like it is.

Dorothy Explains Her Decision To Her Children

“Separate And Equal Are Two Different Things. Just Because It’s The Way Don’t Make It Right.”

Dorothy is the most likely character to avoid the others that they should keep their heads down and avoid trouble if they can, but she also doesn’t let herself be trodden on if she can help it.

Dorothy and her sons aren’t allowed to take out the book they need in the library, so Dorothy swipes it anyway, explaining that she is not stealing because as a taxpayer she has just as much right to things as anybody else. She reminds her children that just because they are being kept separate from their white peers doesn’t mean they are being given equal opportunities either.

Mary Chases The Finish Line

“Every Time We Have A Chance To Get Ahead, They Move The Finish Line.”

Mary recognizes her ability to be an engineer and decides to set her sites on making her dream a reality.

She already technically has the same credentials as every other engineer at NASA, and so should be able to obtain the role, but as soon as she applies, her supervisor asserts that there is an addendum to the position requirements. Mary is understandably angry, and she begins her push to meet the new requirements, despite feeling like she’s constantly set back.

Levi Reminds Mary That “Civil” Is A Misnomer

“Civil Rights Ain’t Always Civil.”

Throughout the film, there are flashes of scenes that suggest the greater levels of unrest that were occurring during the time. Some members of the Black community will be seen protesting, to which the girls mostly try to stay apart from due to the fact that their jobs likely depend on it.

All the same, it’s a reminder of the fact that gaining more rights is not always a peaceful and clean path, especially since such a request is grounded in the unjust fact that rights were being withheld in the first place. Mary’s husband Levi is the one who makes the point to her.

Katherine Jokes About Being A Woman Working For NASA

“And It’s Not Because We Wear Skirts. It’s Because We Wear Glasses.”

Katherine is originally put off by the man who ends up being her husband due to his instant doubt in her capabilities because she is a woman.

Unimpressed, Katherine rattles off all of the high-level requirements of her position and makes sure he understands that the reason women get into these jobs isn’t because of their sexuality, but because of their intelligence. She jokingly likens wearing glasses, not skirts, to being intelligent, and it has the effect she wants as he understands that he offended her.

Paul And Katherine Don’t See Eye To Eye

“There’s No Protocol For Women Attending.”

“There’s No Protocol For A Man Circling The Earth Either, Sir.”

Katherine is expected to make the computations for the NASA team, and yet she isn’t allowed into the conference room when they are discussing the very information that is integral to her job.

Her superior, Paul Stafford, uses the cop-out excuse that the system is merely not set up for women to attend, and Katherine curtly points out how ridiculous a statement this is when considering the values behind their work. While Katherine is always polite, she does get the courage to speak her mind so that she can be part of the historic event of sending men to space.

Katherine Puts Things In Perspective For Harrison

“You, Sir, You Are The Boss. You Just Have To Act Like One… Sir.”

The head of the program finds himself confused and struggling to understand exactly why Katherine shouldn’t be able to attend the conferences, a task that is difficult for the simple fact that there is no answer that makes sense because the rule is purely founded on prejudice.

He muses on who could change this rule, and Katherine reminds him that he is the one with all the power, if only he’d wake up to the fact. Harrison isn’t a bad guy in Katherine’s eyes, but he does need some prodding to help her when it seems like everyone else is against her.

Mrs. Mitchell Doesn’t See Her Own Prejudice

“Despite What You Think, I Have Nothing Against Y’all.”

“I Know You Probably Believe That.”

Mrs. Mitchell, who has treated Dorothy with disrespect in every encounter, begins to see herself in the mirror – literally – when she and Dorothy find themselves using the same bathroom. Mrs. Mitchell attempts to assert a common understanding with Dorothy but only succeeds in exposing the fact that she clearly doesn’t see how her daily treatment of Dorothy as an inferior person is due to her own intrinsic racism.

It takes a long time for her to even slightly understand what she’s put Dorothy through, and it’s really only when her team of white women who act as computers has their jobs threatened as well that she starts to see it.