SAN DIEGO–In honor of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, the San Diego Public Library, University of San Diego and Friends of the Central Library co-hosted author, historian and professor Duchess Harris, JD, Ph.D, for two speaking engagements in San Diego.

Harris is the granddaughter of Miriam Mann, the first black female mathematician who worked at NASA, supporting the U.S. space program.

Harris’ 2016 book “Hidden Human Computers: The Black Women of NASA” shares personal stories about her grandmother and the dozens of black women hired to work on the U.S. space program. The book, written for teenage readers, weaves facts and personal stories together to share the history of black women working in math, science and engineering at NASA.