On this first Monday of Black History Month, we are celebrating with an inspirational leadership quote from an extraordinary Black figure!

Annie Easley (1933-2011) was an American computer scientist, mathematician, and rocket scientist who paved the way for women and people of colour in STEM fields.

She began her career at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as a “human computer,” doing computations for researchers. When hired, she was one of only four African-American employees in her lab.

Over her 34-year career, she contributed to many programmes as a computer scientist, including developing and implementing computer code that analyzed alternative power technologies, supporting the team which developed software for the Centaur rocket stage, identifying systems to solve energy problems, and examining damage to the ozone layer. She was a dedicated proponent of gender, race, and age equality, and she enthusiastically led tutoring and outreach programmes. 

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🚀 Dr. Mae Jemison: "Never limit yourself because of others' limited imagination."

🌱 Alice Walker: "Look closely at the present you are constructing: it should look like the future you are dreaming."

💡 Shirley Chisholm: "You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas."

🖋️ Audre Lorde: "Your silence will not protect you."

⚡️Andrea Jenkins: "If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it. But there must be a plan. We have to set goals. Review them constantly. Shift directions when necessary. But, always stay focused."