U.S. Capitol Police honor guards place Congressional Gold Medals to be presented at a ceremony to honor the Black women mathematicians of NASA who contributed to the space race and who were the subject of the movie "Hidden Figures," at the Capitol on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

On Sept. 18, a historic moment unfolded as a group of Black female scientists and mathematicians — known as NASA’s "Hidden Figures" — were awarded

The African American women who fueled NASA’s work during the space race were honored last week with Congressional Gold Medals,

Lucas, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) were among the speakers heaping praise on the women, who join an elite group of less than 200 people and institutions that have received the Congressional Gold Medal, first awarded by the Continental Congress in 1776 to George Washington.

The four Black women mathemiticians and engineers whose work broke barriers in science and space exploration were celebrated on Capitol Hill for their historic contributions.