Did Al Harrison really knock down the colored bathroom sign?

So, Did Al Harrison Really Smash That “Colored” Bathroom Sign in “Hidden Figures”? Let’s Get Real.

Okay, “Hidden Figures.” What a movie, right? Finally, we got to see the incredible stories of the Black women mathematicians at NASA who were basically rock stars during the Space Race. Seriously inspiring stuff. But, like with any movie “based on a true story,” you gotta wonder: how much of it actually happened? That scene where Kevin Costner, playing Al Harrison, goes all Hulk and demolishes the “Colored Ladies Room” sign after he finds out Katherine Johnson has to trek halfway across the building just to pee? Epic moment. But… true?

Well, buckle up, because the truth is a little more nuanced. In short, that whole scene? Pure Hollywood.

Here’s the deal: Al Harrison himself? Not a real dude. He’s more of a Frankenstein’s monster made up of three different NASA bosses, all rolled into one convenient character for the sake of the movie. Makes sense from a storytelling perspective, but not exactly history-book accurate.

And Katherine Johnson? This woman was a force of nature. According to Margot Lee Shetterly, who wrote the book “Hidden Figures” (you know, the actual story), Katherine Johnson basically just… used the white restrooms. Didn’t even realize they were segregated at first! Talk about not sweating the small stuff.

Plus, here’s a kicker: the whole segregated bathroom thing? It should have been over before the movie even takes place. Back in ’58, when NACA became NASA, they supposedly ditched all that segregated nonsense, including the “Colored” computing office. The movie’s set in ’61, so technically, those signs shouldn’t even have been there anymore.

So, why the dramatic demolition scene?

Well, the director, Theodore Melfi, said it was to shine a spotlight on the racism these women faced and to show a white guy doing the right thing. His quote was something like, “Who cares who does the right thing, as long as the right thing is achieved?” I get the sentiment, I really do.

But here’s where it gets tricky. Some folks argue that it plays into that whole “white savior” trope, you know? Like, the Black women couldn’t solve their own problems, so a white dude had to come in and save the day. Which, let’s be honest, kind of downplays the strength and resilience these women actually had.

More “Hidden” Truths (and Fictions)

The bathroom sign isn’t the only thing the movie fudged a little. For example:

• Timey-Wimey Stuff: The movie squishes the timeline, making it seem like Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary were all besties, hanging out all the time. In reality? Their paths crossed, sure, but they weren’t exactly the Golden Girls.
• Not-So-Close Encounters: While they respected each other, they weren’t as close as the film makes out.
• Mary’s “Court Case”: Remember that dramatic courtroom scene where Mary Jackson fights for her right to take night classes? Yeah, didn’t happen. She asked the city for permission, they said “okay,” and that was that.
• The “Mean” White Folks: Vivian Mitchell and Paul Stafford? Fictional characters, designed to represent the unconscious biases of the time. Basically, the movie needed some villains.

The Bottom Line?

“Hidden Figures” is an awesome, feel-good movie that brought some long-overdue recognition to some seriously amazing women. But it’s not a documentary. That bathroom scene? Powerful, sure, but not exactly ripped from the history books. And that’s okay! As long as we remember to dig a little deeper and learn the real stories of these incredible women, the movie did its job. It got us talking, and that’s what matters.