story name: hidden figures
How would you describe the practices of promotion and advancement in the late 1940s? At the Langley laboratories and the project to break the sound barrier, was hard work and ability rewarded without other considerations? Write 250 words explaining why certain engineers may have had to work harder and achieve more in order to get the recognition they already deserved. Be sure to cite evidence from the text in your response.
In the late 1940s, the practices of promotion and advancement were influenced by various factors, and it cannot be said that hard work and ability alone were enough to receive recognition and advancement. This was particularly true at the Langley laboratories and during the project to break the sound barrier, as depicted in the story "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly.
One reason certain engineers may have had to work harder and achieve more to receive recognition is because of the prevailing racial and gender biases of the time. The main characters in "Hidden Figures," Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, were African-American women who faced systemic discrimination and were often overlooked. Despite their exceptional skills and contributions to the Langley laboratory, they had to constantly prove themselves and go the extra mile to gain the recognition they deserved. For example, Katherine Johnson had to repeatedly request permission to attend key meetings and was initially not credited for her pivotal calculations, as shown in the text: "Even though it was she who had checked and crosschecked [the calculations]... the recognition would come slowly or not at all." (Shetterly 123)
Additionally, the hierarchical structure at Langley and the project to break the sound barrier meant that recognition and advancement were often influenced by personal relationships and social connections. The "good old boys" network was instrumental in facilitating promotions, and those who did not have such connections, like the female characters in the story, had to overcome additional barriers. Dorothy Vaughan's struggle to be promoted to supervisor despite already doing the work of one exemplifies this, as mentioned in the text: "She had been performing supervisory duties... for years, but she did not have the official title and pay to match her responsibilities." (Shetterly 179)
In conclusion, in the late 1940s, hard work and ability alone were often insufficient for promotion and advancement, particularly for engineers marginalized by race and gender. Racial and gender biases, coupled with the influence of personal relationships, meant that certain engineers, like the African-American women in "Hidden Figures," had to work harder and achieve more to gain the recognition they already deserved.