Katherine Johnson was a superstar of mathematics. She was a for the of Black women everywhere. And NASA called her an “American hero.” Yet Katherine Johnson was more than that. She was also a mother.
Katherine Johnson died on February 24, 2020, at age 101. Today, her legacy lives on in many ways. Her work helped shape America’s space program and inspired the world. To learn more about that, two students from Montclair, New Jersey, spoke to Katherine Johnson’s daughter, Joylette Hylick (JH).
Hylick introduced herself as “Katherine Johnson’s daughter.” She said some people call her mother “legendary — but she’s just mom to us.”
When did you realize the impact your mom made?
JH: We saw a newspaper article in 1961. She had never said anything. So, we still didn’t realize the true impact. Now the more I read about what she contributed, she was just priceless.
When was the first time you noticed that your mother was interested in math?
JH: Always. Everything that we did in our lives, we were all interested in numbers. They were presented to us in the form of games. One thing about her love of math is that we never heard anything negative about math.
Did your mother always know she wanted to work for NASA?
JH: Oh, no. NASA didn’t come into being until 1958. She worked at NASA because the opportunity came for that agency to hire minorities. One of my mother’s key principles is to prepare yourself so that when an opportunity presents itself, you’re ready. So, she took every math class that West Virginia State College had.
What challenges did Katherine Johnson face as a Black mathematician in NASA?
JH: Her father taught her that you are no better than anybody else — but nobody else is better than you. So, she was not going to feel
. She always had the support of her family and friends. When she got there, she got to work. As she said, “Never look back.” She just wasn’t intimidated. She didn’t have an arrogance about it. She just was confident.
But we had separate bathrooms for Black women. That was an issue. So, she ignored the rules and went to the first female bathroom that she saw and just did what she had to do and get back to work. Because it was always about getting the work done. It was always working around whatever obstacle that was in front of her.
Did your mother mention a difference in NASA from its early years to today?
JH: Well, yes, things got better. First of all, people had to follow the law. So, they had to change some rules. Aside from that, they realized the value of other people. It takes a minute to change people’s attitudes. But my mom showed her value with her intelligence. There wasn’t anybody else that could do what my mother did. Mom says, “If you do your best, you can’t do any better.” She never made a mistake with all those numbers. So, don’t be afraid. Don’t give up. Don’t let anything get in your way if you’re doing what you think is right. And don’t look down on other people who aren’t as fast as you are.
What would your mother say about the low numbers of women in STEM?
JH: It’s a mistake. Women have the ability, the creativity, and the curiosity of doing the same things as men. There shouldn’t be a
for women. We women have to go around that barrier.
What is the most interesting contribution Katherine Johnson made to science or math?
JH: She would say, “Tell me where you want to land. And I’ll tell you where to take off, what the path will be, and how you get there.” Her trajectories are still the basis for what NASA does today.
What words of wisdom did your mother give you growing up?
JH: She wanted us to stay busy. So, we always had a pet and played a sport and played music. She just wanted us to stay challenged and like what we do. She loved what she was doing so much that she said it never felt like work. Do your best all the time. Follow your passion.
Updated March 29, 2022, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
