Katherine Johnson was an African-American mathematician whose calculations were critical to the success of NASA’s early space flights, including the first human spaceflight by an American, Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 mission. She was also part of the team that calculated the trajectory for the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon. Here, we have compiled some of the most popular quotes by Katherine Johnson that inspire and illuminate her wisdom.
Quotes by Katherine Johnson
- “We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and will go away, but there will always be science, engineering, and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics.”
- “Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.”
- “Like what you do, and then you will do your best.”
- “I counted everything. I counted the steps to the road, the steps up to church, the number of dishes and silverware I washed … anything that could be counted, I did.”
- “We needed to be assertive as women in those days – assertive and aggressive – and the degree to which we had to be that way depended on where you were. I had to be.”
- “My problem was to answer questions, and I did that to the best of my ability.”
- “I don’t have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. I’m as good as anybody, but no better.”
- “The main barrier to more African American women doing well in mathematics is that few try.”
- “Mathematics is the language of the universe and all of us are capable of speaking it.”
- “Everything is physics and math.”
- “In math, you’re either right or you’re wrong.”
- “I didn’t do it for recognition. If you’re working for that, you’re not really getting it.”
- “I was just doing my job.”
- “Take all the courses in your curriculum. Do the research. Ask questions. Find someone doing what you are interested in! Be curious!”
- “I loved going to work every single day.”
- “Know how to learn. Then, want to learn.”
- “I am not a ‘less than.’ I am a ‘greater than.’”
- “You are no better than anyone else, and nobody else is better than you.”
- “I’m as good as anybody, but no better.”
- “I thought it was the perfect thing for me, because I liked to ask questions—always.”
These quotes by Katherine Johnson not only reflect her wisdom and vision, but also provide us with great life lessons. Take this inspiration from Katherine Johnson with you in your daily life, and always remember that there will always be room for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and most importantly, perseverance.