Katherine Johnson has died.

The word heroine is a diminutive of hero, along with actress and waitress, words that had to bestowed a diminutive to denote that women were adopting male roles, therefore we get our feminisation tacked onto the end, it can be emaphasised with a smile, the tress, and the whine in heroine.

Shero puts the female right at the front.

Maybe the OP likes the word 'Shero' as far from being demeaning, it might specifically signify someone who has triumphed in a context of sexism? I'd rather take this positive view than quibble (and certainly not give any support to the entirely negative and disrespectful second post.)

Why would you not use the word Hero? Because she is female?

The movie is excellent. I must get the book.

What age would you say I could show it to dd? She is 8 now.

It’s not language pedantry. It’s actually quite demeaning.

She was a hero, in the full sense of the word. She did what she did despite being a woman in a male dominated world, she deserves the same recognition as any man does, not a stupid made up word defined by her sex, which was exactly what she fought against.

Thanks for this thread, I knew about the women who did the calculations, and how poorly they were paid and valued, but somehow I managed to miss the book and film. Have now downloaded both and am looking forward to enjoying them.

This place is a goldmine!

Oh yeah, and shero is fine by me. Men have been in charge of defining words and their meanings through the many centuries when they were the only ones permitted an education. Why get so irritated when women play with language and mint themselves a few male exclusionary words?

My daughter did a school project on Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. I for one am saddened by the loss of Katherine Johnson. She was a trail blazer!

Shine amongst the stars Katherine, for you are one!

Yeah we've gone so far we see how men have tainted the very language we use so we're creating our own. What a terrifying thought for a certain type of man.

And OP - you are a good sort for starting the thread.

Hero
Heroine
Shero
Genius
Inspiring
Amazing
Glorious
Awesome

It’s all good...

We stand on their shoulders, we really do.

Absolutely ^^

I'm still awake because on hearing the news I've been reading (again) the book.

The work done by Katherine and her peers, was ground breaking.

For those who have not read the book, please do.

The film is very good but the book has so much more information about the struggles these women faced.

Katherine was an icon, as the film makes clear but there were many other women whose stories could have anchored such a movie.

Dorothy Vaughan's story is part of the movie but much underplayed in terms of her contribution to both women's and black rights.

What an inspirational woman!

I must now watch Hidden Figures in the near future.

I know. Not just a mathematical genius but all that strength as well.

@MrsTerryPratchett how did they keep their will? and their cool? When you know you are right and better than them?

We stand on their shoulders, we really do.

Hidden Figures was an object lesson in that feeling every woman has had. When you have to convince the man you know more than them. Even though it should be blindingly obvious. She must have felt that so often.

I'm relieved that there are tributes here to an incredible woman.
Someone posted in chat and only one reply. Sad to see.
Thankfully, I've found you here celebrating her achievements.
What a mind she had!

...and stop telling women what to do and what words are ok!

An amazing woman. Happy she lived a long life

Yes shero indeed.

I did see Hidden Numbers, and was blown away by it, as the women did do the groundwork for the men, and also got divisions between white and black removed as had previously had to run to a municipal buildings some blocks away to use the toilets!!!

She got pulled up on taking too long, and then said that she had to travel considerable distance to jist use the toilet, so they opened the loos to all female and removed the segregation!

She also picked up on the mistakes in the projections that the entirely male team had made.

The astronaut only wanted her to do the calculations in the end. Put his life in her hands, literally.

A true inspiration, blazing a trail. What a shero.

Please can the language police take their pedantry to the appropriate place - Pedants’ Corner - or st least another thread. Not the time or the place for such petty bickering.

^^
This.....

Just to add the film is very good but the book is excellent.

Sometimes it's easy to forget the battles women have fought to be recognised and especially so as a black women in that era her achievements should be legendary.

Sometimes I think part of the issue today with generation Z is that many of those young women are too far removed from struggles of women in the past to appreciate how hard won our rights were and threat we face as lobby groups seek to erode them.

I've made DSD and DS watch the movie (under initial sufferance) but within 20 mins they were captivated by the stories of these 3 brilliant women.

According to this article, the word ‘shero’ was first used in 1892:

thenationonlineng.net/in-defence-of-a-shero

May she Rest In Peace - so happy she lived long enough to see her achievements and contributions recognized.

Please can the language police take their pedantry to the appropriate place - Pedants’ Corner - or st least another thread. Not the time or the place for such petty bickering.

Just watched the news clips about her. Fantastic woman and so pleased that she was properly recognised.

I've been meaning to watch the film Hidden Figures. I'll buy the book as well.

What an incredible woman. RIP Katherine Johnson.