Pharrell: Women’s Contribution To History Was Always Erased

Fox 20th Century’s upcoming film, “ Hidden Figures” is an untold historical story that Pharrell Williams hopes will shed some light on women’s contributions to history and technology.

Williams, who composed music for the film, took part in a recent roundtable discussion of songwriters hosted by The Hollywood Reporter. Along with singer-songwriters Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Tori Amos, Sting, John Legend, Williams, Williams discussed an array of topics ranging from their creative process composing music for films to issues affecting America.

Starring Taraji P. Henson (as Katherine Johnson), Octavia Spencer (as Dorothy Vaughn) and Janelle Monáe (as Mary Jackson), the “Hidden Figures” highlights the untold true story of three African-American women mathematicians who provided NASA with integral data during astronaut John Glenn’s historical orbit in 1962.

For Williams, highlighting the three mathematicians’ historical achievements in “Hidden Figures” is long overdue.

“This is a story that’s been around this entire time,” he said. “These women were victims of error and circumstance. We look back in history and women’s contribution to any kind of advancement was always discounted, dismissed, or overlooked ,erased, not acknowledged.”

Williams expressed his support for gender equality during a Hillary Clinton rally in Raleigh, North Carolina earlier this month, where he told attendees his desire to see a woman “break the presidential glass ceiling.”

Like Hillary Clinton’s historic presidential campaign run, the “Happy” crooner says “Hidden Figures” will help raise awareness surrounding gender bias.

“We can no longer deny that women are treated the way that they are. And I think that this film will be one of many instrumental tools to change not only America’s mind, but the world’s mind.”

Amen to that.

Check out more of Pharrell thoughts in the clip above.