Were African Americans hired as 'computers'?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the historical employment of African Americans in the role of 'computers', which refers to the human calculators used in various fields, particularly in mathematics and engineering before the advent of electronic computers. The inquiry likely pertains to racial dynamics in the workforce and contributions of African Americans to computation and mathematics in history.
Answer
Yes, African Americans were hired as 'computers' at NACA in the 1940s.
Yes, African Americans were hired as 'computers'. In the 1940s, NACA (the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) began hiring Black women as computers, known as the West Area Computers.
Answer for screen readers
Yes, African Americans were hired as 'computers'. In the 1940s, NACA (the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) began hiring Black women as computers, known as the West Area Computers.
More Information
These African American women were instrumental in the U.S. space efforts, working on crucial calculations that supported aeronautics and space missions.
Sources
- NASA's West Area Computers - education.nationalgeographic.org
- Hidden Figures: How Nasa hired its first black women 'computers' - bbc.com
- African-American women were hired as mathematicians to do technical computing - en.wikipedia.org
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