I feel like, in a lot of ways, 'Hidden Figures' is the book that I wrote and have been waiting to read since I learned to read.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a deep connection to a transformative book that resonates with the author's experiences and learning journey.
'Hidden Figures' represents a significant story that was long overlooked, and for the author, it embodies a personal and educational milestone. Margot Lee Shetterly reflects on how the narrative of the book fulfills a gap in knowledge and representation that she has always sought throughout her reading life.
In practice
In a book club discussion, to emphasize the importance of representation in literature.
A lot of times, we talk about black people as if being black is all they are. They get up, go to work... and are as complex and interesting and variable as any other group of people. We don't often capture that or write about it.
Growing up in Hampton, the face of science was brown like mine.
For too long, history has imposed a binary condition on its black citizens: either nameless or renowned, menial or exceptional, passive recipients of the forces of history or superheroes who acquire mythic status not just because of their deeds but because of their scarcity.
If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
What a newspaper needs in its news, in its headlines, and on its editorial page is terseness, humor, descriptive power, satire, originality, good literary style, clever condensation, and accuracy, accuracy, accuracy!
Powerful people cannot afford to educate the people that they oppress, because once you are truly educated, you will not ask for power. You will take it.
Not everyone has equal abilities, but everyone should have equal opportunity for education.
Rich people have small TVs and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big TVs.
The youth is the hope of our future.
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