People's University, Forgotten Women, Class 3: Reaching for the Moon: The Story of Katherine Johnson

October 15, 2026
7:00pm - 8:00pm

OCTOBER 15: REACHING FOR THE MOON: THE STORY OF KATHERINE JOHNSON 

Born in the segregated south of 1918, Katherine Johnson was a trailblazer from day one. Not only was she one of the first Black students to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools, she went on to become a NASA mathematician—sending astronauts into orbit, around the Earth, and to the moon. As a Black woman in STEM, Katherine pushed boundaries, overcame adversity, and continues to inspire generations of young people to reach for the stars. Ms. Tolliver will take the audience back in time as NASA “Computer” and mathematician Creola Katherine Coleman Gobel Johnson Katherine Johnson). Beginning with her birth in rural West Virginia, Katherine will share the story of how her intelligence, faith, historic events and the support of family and friends created opportunities for her to achieve her dreams and fulfill her destiny.

Presenter SHERRIE TOLLIVER'S 40+ year career as an actor, writer, director, stand–up comic and history interpreter has taken her across the country and around the world. As a member of the Group Women In History she has brought the stories of great women such as pioneer Dr.Susan McKinney Steward, activist Rosa Parks pilot Bessie Coleman, Civil War nurse Susie King Taylor, and author Zora Neale Hurston to life for audiences of all ages. Sherrie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and a certificate from the National Association of Interpretation for Historical Interpretation.