Fans are mourning the passing of actress Nichelle Nichols, best known for her barrier-breaking performance of Lt. Uhura in the 1960s show “Star Trek” and the six films that featured the cast of the original series.
Before joining the crew of the fictional Enterprise, Nichols sang with the Duke Ellington Band. After transitioning into acting, Nichols was instrumental in creating her role for “Star Trek.” At a time when when TV roles for Black actors tended toward housekeepers and cooks, Lt. Uhura was a revelation to viewers of all races.
In 1960, Nichols and co-star Williams Shatner engaged in a kiss on the show, reportedly the first interracial kiss on U.S. television. Not only did Nichols aid in breaking racial barriers, she also broke barriers for women who wanted pivotal roles in television.
During “Star Trek’s” initial run, Nichols considered quitting the show to focus on work with the Civil Rights movement. In an interview with NPR in 2011, Nichols reveals that meeting her biggest fan — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — led her to reconsider.
“I said something like, ‘Dr. King, I wish I could be out there marching with you.’ He said, ‘You are marching. You are reflecting what we are fighting for.’ ‘Don’t you understand what this man has achieved? For the first time, we are being seen the world over as we should be seen.’ He says, ‘Do you understand that this is the only show that my wife Coretta and I will allow our little children to stay up and watch?’”
The moment left Nichols “speechless.” What she thought was just an acting role had more meaning and power behind it. Her being on screen gave other Black boys and girls hope that they too could one day be on television — or serve on the crew of an interstellar starship.
Nichols took that encouragement and continued to make a path for women in various fields. In the 1910s, she publicly addressed NASA not hiring qualified women and minorities as astronauts. In response, NASA hired Nichols to help with recruiting.
Nichols symbolized the importance of representation as one of the most influential figures of her time. Nichols died from natural causes in her New Mexico home.
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