Katherine Johnson Quotes: Inspiring Words from a Mathematical Pioneer

Katherine Johnson, an African American mathematician will always be remembered in space history after achieving enormous strides with NASA. Her job of creating trajectories for the first American space man and for the orbital flight of John Glenn took her into history. Still, Johnson’s knowledge and advice do not end at the numbers; they are still useful up to the present day. Take a quick glance at some of her most memorable statements that depict her inspiring and great life journey and legacy.

Katherine Johnson Famous Quotes as follows:

1. "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."

This quote epitomizes Katherine’s lifelong fascination with numeracy and logic. She was naturally curious as a child and she was obsessed with the task of knowing things mathematically. It is understood that she had a passion for counting since childhood, so she was going to perform very well at NASA where she performed meticulous calculations and caused the success of space missions.

2. "Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men."

At the era when women and especially women of color were struggling to get their foot in the door within STEM disciplines, Katherine  was a living example of determination and professionalism. This quote sums her up as a women’s emancipation artist who believed that women are equal to men and can do a lot if given the chance. These are the achievements that reinforce the people’s belief that a woman of determination and great ideas can do what a man can do and even more.

3. "We needed to be assertive as women in those days—assertive and aggressive—and the degree to which we had to be varied by the degree of competition that we faced."

Katherine was an employee of NASA for more than thirty years and predominantly faced racism as well as sexism as she was black woman working in the environment that was occupied majorly by white males. Rather, this quote gives an insight of the determination and self-assertiveness which she used to fight the systemic barriers she faced. She rose to become a symbol of independence and fight for women’s rights in STEM and proved that women could excel in any line of work they wanted. 

4. "You are no better than anyone else, and no one is better than you."

This quote sums up Katherine’s humbleness, and the general idea of everyone being equal. Despite these great achievements in space she was very humble and she worked towards her goals without ever seeking the limelight. Analyzing Katherines’ work and her character, one concludes that she was a perfect example of a lady who was very humble, but at the same time was confident in herself and her skills as a mathematician and a scientist. 

5. "Everything is physics and math."

Enshrine in her a set of views that math and physics are the universal language, and thus, Katherine Johnson knew a thing or two about the workings of the universe. This quote is in line with her problem-solving behavior; according to her, mathematics was the solution to the complexities of space and beyond. One of the ways through which women contributed to enhancing scientific knowledge was through their analysis and solving skills whereby she could easily convert physical experiences into mathematical formulas which contributed to the success of NASA space missions.

6. "I'm as good as anybody, but no better."

While Johnson was very confident in her skills she also had a balanced attitude of equality and fairness. This quote reflects her being a meritocracy, a person who believes that people should be employed based on their qualifications and work not their color or gender. Her life and work depict this truth, whereby she kept on confirming her value by getting excellent results in mathematics and hard working.

Conclusion :

The words of wisdom from this extraordinary woman will allow the reader a brief insight into the thought process of this distinguished mathematician and pioneer of the space era as well as an advocate of gender and racial equality and education for all. The words she said in the course of her life and the way she led her life continues to motivate and encourage individuals all over the world, in touching their spirit by enlightening the human souls, to never yield, use one’s imagination, and that pride is a sin. In this article, we commemorate her womanhood and the mathematical genius for which she was celebrated and remembered for a legacy to the future generation.