Dorothy Vaughan Biography Essay Example

In the 1960s, women in workplaces had to fight for equality and rights. At the time, women had to work harder for their jobs and it was difficult to be accepted to work and for black women, it was even harder because they were segregated from the white people. Back then, Dorothy Vaughan was one of the greatest black women at NASA. Though there were many obstacles and barriers at her time there because of racism and discrimination, Dorothy got through all of it, was successful, and she is now known as a significant figure at NASA for being a mathematician and computer programmer. Though Dorothy Vaughan had a life at home, she played a very important role in NASA, faced racism and discrimination, persevered, and soon became recognized by others for that.

Dorothy Vaughan had a simple life at home. She was an African American woman who was born on September 20th, 1910 in Kansas City, Missouri. She was a mathematician and a computer programmer who became a significant part of history. Dorothy was incredibly smart when she was a child and in 1917, her family moved from Missouri to West Virginia. She graduated college at the age of 19 with a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and French at Wilberforce University. Before working for NASA, Dorothy worked as a math teacher in Virginia and later, she married a man named Howard S. Vaughan. Later in her life, Dorothy had four children: Leonard S. Vaughan, Kenneth H. Vaughan, Maida Kathryn Cobbins, and Ann V. Hammond.

Dorothy Vaughan had faced several challenges throughout her life. Even though there were many barriers that were bigger than others racism, and discrimination were one of the biggest. In the early 1900s, racism, segregation, and discrimination were very normalized when it shouldn’t have been and at Dorothy's workplace in Langley she experienced all of those things. Working for NASA, Dorothy was assigned to the segregated West Area Computing unit where a black group of female mathematicians worked. Everything was separated so they were only allowed to use certain things. The black people had to use separate dining and bathroom spaces because the white people didn’t want them to share the same areas they did. As time went by and NACA transitioned into NASA, segregated areas such as restrooms, dining areas, and computing areas were put to an end. Dorothy and many of the other West Computing women joined the group of other workers and it was a group full of women and men of different races.

Dorothy's experience at NASA was one that created history in America and was a significant part of her life journey. In 1943, Dorothy had gone to the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory and she gave up her position as a math teacher at Robert Russa Moton High School. At first, Dorothy thought her position at NASA would be temporary but it wasn't. At the Langley Research Centre Dorothy was a part of The West Area Computing unit with a group of black female mathematicians. Her job there was to provide critical information to the engineers designing aeronautical experiments. Dorothy's original section heads were white, but in 1949 Dorothy got promoted to lead the group and she became NASA’s first black supervisor and one of NASA’s new female supervisors. That was an important part in history because black women were segregated and not allowed to have those kinds of positions but with Dorothy’s intelligence she made history. 

Throughout Dorothy Vaughns life she faced barriers, inequality, and racism, but she still came out on top. She accomplished her dreams and never gave up on anything because she knew she could make it. She balanced her life at home taking care of her kids, going to work everyday, and doing work at home. She also faced racism, discrimination, and segregation outside and at her workplace, but was strong enough to get through it. Finally, Dorothy accomplished her life goals by being successful, and working for NASA. She became one of the most significant people that worked for NASA and today she is recognized as one of the most intelligent and prominent black women in history.