Before “Hidden Figures” became an Oscar-nominated film, it was a book that told the incredible true story of the three African American women mathematicians who were behind NASA’s first successful space missions. Margot Lee Shetterly’s “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race”, not only inspired the Fox film, but an entire nation.
Now, the best-selling author is set to bring more untold stories to life. On Tuesday, Vikings Books announced that Shetterly will write two new books that will explore “the idea of the American Dream and its legacy by excavating stories of other ‘hidden figures,’ extraordinary ordinary African Americans whose contributions to American history have, for one reason or another, been untold, unseen, or overlooked.”
Similar to the success stories of pioneering Nasa mathematicians, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, Shetterly will highlight the contributions of other African Americans, starting with two influential African American families who lived in mid-20th century Baltimore: The Murphy family, who owned Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, and the Adams Family, who were prominent investors and philanthropists.
According to Vikings: “Shetterly will bring the history of Baltimore to life through the success stories of the Adamses and the Murphys, also showing the contrasting challenges faced by those left behind by redlining, lack of economic opportunity and urban decay. In doing so, she will bring new understanding to the history of a city that represents both the upside and the shortcomings of the American dream.”
With Shetterly behind the pen, the untold stories and contributions of African Americans to U.S. history are guaranteed to be hidden no more.
Publication dates and details about the second book have yet to be released.