If you’re of a certain age, you’ve been frustrated by huge paper maps that had to be folded just right so they could be put back in the glove compartment. Today, GPS guides our every move—from walking directions to shipping routes and flight paths. But what many don’t know is that a Black woman made it all possible.
From 1956, Gladys West worked for the U.S. Navy, using her mathematical brilliance to model the Earth’s shape with unprecedented precision. Her algorithms became the backbone of satellite-based navigation, now known as GPS. Yet her name remained unknown for decades.
At a time when women, especially Black women, were systematically excluded from what is now known as STEM leadership, West persisted. Her work broke scientific ground and institutional barriers. She wasn’t just solving equations—she was redefining what and who belonged in the future of technology.
In an era when billionaires like Elon Musk attempt (and fail) to launch new satellite systems, West’s contributions remain quietly embedded in the functioning of our daily lives. Her legacy reminds us that knowledge is never neutral—it reflects who has access to create it, and whose names we choose to remember.
Gladys West’s story expands the Black imagination, reminding us that we don’t just inherit history—we create it. Her legacy reminds us that knowledge is never neutral—it reflects who has access to make it and whose names we choose to remember. It proves that Black women are not only keepers of knowledge but architects of the future.