One of the films recognized at the Oscar’s this year was Hidden Figures, the compelling cinematic adaptation of the true history of the African American women who worked for NASA, and contributed to the success of one of the greatest scientific operations in history: sending the first American into space.

The movie is adapted for the screen from the New York Times Bestseller Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, and is directed by Theodore Melfi.

Taraji Henson dazzles as leading lady Katherine Johnson, delivering an exceptional performance with a personal flourish. The film additionally features Oscar award-winning actor Mahershala Ali as Johnson’s romantic interest Colonel Jim Johnson for a heartwarming historical touch.    

The movie breathes life into the untold stories of Katherine Johnson (Henson), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and sheds light on the incredible contributions these women made to the Mercury Missions during an era of racism and sexism. The movie paints an unapologetically honest picture of the racist attitudes of 1960’s America, and beautifully portrayed the utter grace and determination of these women to help their country in a time when the Jim Crow laws made every step a battle.

In November 2015, President Barack Obama presented Katherine Johnson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Though many years later and despite the lack of popular recognition, it is uplifting that she was finally honored for her contributions to the American space race.

Hidden Figures is a standout film in 2016 simply because it is spearheaded by three black women. Though Hollywood has been improving, film and television continue to struggle somewhat with diversity. Hidden Figures marks a shift in whom we are accustomed seeing leading pictures, and demonstrates an increasing popularity of female-led biopics.