Michelle Obama will leave the White House a more cultured place than she found it. The outgoing First Lady's latest contribution to what has been a sterling eight years of White House-pop culture partnership is a screening of Hidden Figures. The film focuses on the contributions of three Black women who helped America win the space race.
Obama will host cast members Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, Octavia Spencer, and Kevin Costner, and deliver remarks about the movie. The film, directed by Theodore Melfi, adapts Margot Lee Shatterly's nonfiction book about Black women who overcame racist and sexist obstacles through being hell of good at math.
The White House said, in a release, that they hope to "highlight the stories of Americans who have made significant contributions in the history of space flight, space science, and innovation. Hidden Figures is a biographical film that tells the story of NASA pioneers Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson, whose work enabled the first launches of Americans into space."
Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama last year. She'll attend the ceremony at 97 years old.
Hidden Figures opens Dec. 25 in certain cities, and will enter wide release on Jan. 6. Watch the trailer below.
Hidden Figures opens Dec. 25 in certain cities, and will enter wide release on Jan. 6. Watch the trailer below.