Nichelle Nichols didn't just play a space traveller. She helped recruit them for NASA.
we lost more than one of the brightest lights of television and science fiction, one of the most powerful symbols of African American achievement and hope and one of the greatest recruiters of women and minorities into American science and spaceflight. We also lost a strong Black woman who showed the world a future with Black men and women being treated as integral parts of humanity’s future and not just background players.
Nichols’ Uhura, a fictional African communications officer on the bridge of a futuristic starship soaring through the galaxy on the original three-year run of “Star Trek” and its subsequent first series of movies, made real-life boys and girls, men and women feel like their horizons were unlimited, as well. It was living, breathing Afrofuturism. And Nichols made it glorious.Ms. Nichols, I am your greatest fan.
There was a time when Black characters on television were servants or slaves, pimps or prostitutes or mere background characters to white stories. They were the “magical Negro,” there to help white main characters discover something about themselves; “the Black best friend,” who comforts and pushes the white main character in his or her journey; the “domestic or mammy,” who serves those white characters; or the thug; or the angry, or sassy, Black woman.
Worried about reaction from Southern television stations, showrunners had filmed the kiss between Shatner and Nichols with their lips mostly obscured by the back of Nichols’ head, but they wanted to play it even safer and film a second scene in which the kiss happens off-screen.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ has died at 89Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died at the age of 89.
Read more »
Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ has died at 89Relatives say Sunday that Nichelle Nichols, who broke ground for Black women acting on television as the beautiful, no-nonsense communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura on the original “Star Trek” TV
Read more »
Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ Has Died at 89Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died at the age of 89.
Read more »
Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ has died at 89Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original 'Star Trek' television series, has died at the age of 89.
Read more »
Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ has died at 89Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died at the age of 89.
Read more »
Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ has died at 89Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television...
Read more »