My Publicist Note Book

Save P ho “Hidden Figures” takes us back to 1961, when racial segregation and workplace sexism were widely accepted facts of life and the word “computer” referred to a person, not a machine. Though a gigantic IBM mainframe does appear in the movie — big enough to fill a room and probably less powerful than the phone in your pocket — the most important computers are three African-American women who work at NASA headquarters in Hampton, Va. Assigned to data entry jobs and denied recognition or promotion, they would go on to play crucial roles in the American space program.  Based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s nonfiction book of the same title, the film, directed by Theodore Melfi (who wrote the script with Allison Schroeder), turns the entwined careers of Katherine Goble (later Johnson), Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan into a rousing celebration of merit rewarded and perseverance repaid. Like many movies about the overcoming of racism, it offers belated acknowledgme...

President Obama celebrated Malia Obama’s 18th birthday in the only way he knows how — in front of everyone. Crooner-in-chief Obama joined Kendrick Lamar and Janelle Monáe onstage during Monday evening’s Independence Day celebration at the White House and sang "Happy Birthday" to Malia. The White House celebrated the nation's birth with military veterans and their families, an event that was originally planned for the South Lawn. It was switched to the East Room due to rainy weather that may have ruined the barbecue and fireworks show. Malia, who plans to attend Harvard University, is taking a “gap year” and will start college in the fall of 2017. It was nice he wanted to celebrate his daughter birthday but, his singing skills left a bit to be desired here. He could have gotten Katy Perry,  Usher or even Beyonce'  who can actually sing. Sorry POTUS :) Happy Birthday to #Malia!!!  @mypu...

Uncovering a Tale of Rocket Science, Race and the ’60s Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer star in “Hidden Figures,” a largely untold story of African-American mathematicians in the space program. “This is a female-driven movie about contributions that women really made,” Spencer told The New York Times about the 2017 film focusing on four black female NASA mathematicians in the 1960s. When "Hidden Figures" hits the big screen next January, audiences across the nation will see the true story of the African American women mathematicians who were behind one of NASA's first successful space missions. Henson stars as Katherine Johnson, Monáe as Mary Jackson, and Spencer as Dorothy  Vaughan. "This is a female-driven movie about contributions that women really made, to our world, not just our society. That’s a big statement.”- Octavia Spencer Taraji, Janelle, and Octavia, thank you for using your platform and talent to bring an important sto...