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While reading I was imagining the movie "Hidden Figures" which I saw recently, and it turns out it was her. Was pleased to read she received the medal of freedom. Why did it take until 2015?

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I haven't found anything specifically about this, but Margot Lee Shetterly started researching the book in 2010 and sold movie rights in 2014. I also found a photo of the (human) computers from a lecture she did in 2014. So it seems like there was enough publicity then to get the attention of the Obama administration?

And would she have a chance of receiving such an honor today?

Why not?

Aside from the obvious answer that the current US president is one of the most openly racist in the past 40 years, there's a strong indication that white presidents fail to award black achievement, especially by women. Otherwise she would have been awarded the medal considerably earlier, given her retirement in 1986.

(The sample size is unfortunately limited; I recommend electing more black presidents to further test this hypothesis.)

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