A contribuição das mulheres afro-americanas na Nasa: Uma análise decolonial da obra Estrelas Além do Tempo de Margot Lee Shetterly

Abstract

This study investigates the contribution of African-American women to NASA, focusing on a decolonial analysis of Margot Lee Shetterly's work Hidden Figures (2016). The general objective is to investigate the fundamental role of these women in the American space race, problematizing the historical invisibility of their contributions through a decolonial perspective. The specific objectives are: to analyze the trajectories of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, highlighting their resistance strategies in the scientific environment; to discuss the relationship between race, gender, and science, highlighting the challenges they faced; and to understand how Shetterly's narrative contributes to the redefinition of the role of black women in the history of science. The theoretical foundation is based on the decolonial theories of authors such as Quijano and Mignolo (2005); Lugones (2008-2012); Spivak (2010); Oyéwumi and Allen (2020); and Ribeiro (2014). Shetterly's work is analyzed as an instrument of denunciation and valorization of subaltern voices, promoting a critical review of the official history told from the perspective of the subaltern. The approach is qualitative and is based on bibliographical research. Books, academic articles and excerpts from the work on the participation of African-American women in science were used. This study seeks to give visibility to the trajectories of black and African-American women who were silenced for centuries, and to encourage critical reflections on the contribution of these women to science and NASA, areas that were occupied mainly by men.