The Woman Who Made GPS Possible (And Was Almost Written Out of History)
Listen to the latest episode here: Bitchstory Join Patreon and get weekly Bitchscopes & more! If you have ever used your phone to get somewhere… If you have ever dropped a pin… If you have ever trusted that calm robot lady voice telling you to turn left… You owe part of that moment to a woman you were probably never taught about. This week on Bitchstory, we’re talking about Dr. Gladys West — mathematician, programmer, data pioneer, and one of the foundational minds behind the technology that became GPS. And like so many women in science — especially Black women — she spent decades doing world-changing work quietly, precisely, and without fanfare… while history mostly talked about the men. Let’s fix that. Gladys West was born in rural Virginia in 1930. Her parents worked in tobacco fields. Education wasn’t just encouraged — it was the exit strategy. She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class, earned a scholarship, and studied...