How Katherine Johnson’s Integrity Inspires me – The Suffolk News-Herald

By Tonya Sinclair Swindell

Integrity means doing the right thing even when it doesn’t seem easy. The words “not easy” have a tendency to get noticed because making wise choices can no doubt be difficult. And I’ll admit I’m still a job, so I was inspired to learn from the integrity and class of Katherine Johnson, the black mathematician who was instrumental in John Glenn’s mission in Earth orbit.

Integrity can inspire me to make good decisions when decisions are unclear or when I have limited vision. It speaks and says, “Do this or do that; but try to make wise decisions that you won’t regret anytime soon. “

Integrity motivated Katherine Johnson, a “hidden figure” who knows calculations. When Johnson got to work at NASA, a colleague refused to sit next to her. “Well, I came here to work; and I will, ”was Ms. Johnson’s reply after her colleague refused.

No doubt her colleague was not used to sitting so close to a beautiful brown woman like Johnson, who had a divine gift for what she was sent to do. As a member of a group of scientists and astronauts, white men who took pride in their work, it likely felt difficult to sit nearby while a woman of color calculated distance and time. Like many who live in a segregated community, he has likely never had the unique pleasure and opportunity to overcome the perceived social barriers that made working together so difficult.

Ms. Johnson made a conscious choice to excel despite the opposition. She did not downplay her math skills, despite the fact that others displayed her contempt and malice. She openly showed her exquisite brilliance and did it with professionalism.

Johnson and many others wore figurative cloaks and skillfully but carefully gave an excellent example of what it is like to walk with integrity when others encounter another’s humanity. They embodied character and respectful behavior in the presence of naysayers, doubters and haters. It couldn’t have been easy, not for a minute, to resist the temptation, instead of indulging in integrity and courtesy, the honorable virtues of business, simply indulging in feelings of bitterness or unforgiveness.

Now their actions reveal important lessons in dealing with situations that seek to threaten or divide and overcome the sense of oneness among a multitude of individuals from different communities. Johnson’s Integrity said, “I’m not going to do this: stop making good decisions based on another person’s hubris – or pride that may hinder the progress we have made as humans.”

As I mentioned earlier, I am a work in progress, learning lessons that have been lived and then taught by the best: individuals like Ms. Katherine Johnson, a proud recipient of the presidential honor. Mrs. Johnson, your legacy continues to inspire and to follow your example is one of my wishes. I acknowledge your size posthumously and thank you for being a role model for me.

This column was originally published in the New Journal and Guide in its August 19-25 issue.

Tonya Sinclair Swindell is the author of Nourishment & Encouragement: Poetry For Your Mind, Body and Soul. She can be reached at: [email protected] or on Facebook at Tonya Sinclair Swindell – Teacher With A Pen.