Nichelle Nichols, the actress whose performance as Lt. Nyota Uhura in the classic 1960s series “Star Trek” broke barriers for Black women performers on television, passed away on July 30 at the age of 89.
Born Grace Dell Nichols on Dec. 28, 1932, in the Chicago suburb of Robbins, Illinois, Nichols first on-screen role was an uncredited appearance among the dance ensemble in Otto Preminger’s controversial 1959 film adaptation of “Porgy and Bess.” Her first prominent role was in the 1961 Broadway musical “Kicks and Company.” But leading roles for Black women in the early 1960s were scarce and Nichols worked primarily as a singer and model before landing her “Star Trek” role in 1966.
On “Star Trek,” Nichols role was without precedent – as a Black woman working as an equal with an all-male cast, Nichols’ Uhura was seen as an occupational and intellectual equal rather than as a subservient figure. Her presence was so strong that no less a figure than Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. personally convinced her to stay on the show when she toyed with leaving the series after its first season.
While Uhura’s race was rarely an issue in most episodes, the November 1968 “Plato’s Stepchildren” created a sensation when she and her white co-star William Shatner kissed, albeit as part of a plot involving alien telekinesis forcing them to act against their will.
Nichols continued working after “Star Trek” was canceled in 1969, but never scored another role that equaled the cultural resonance of Lt. Uhura. She revived her iconic role in the 1979 big screen reboot of “Star Trek” and its five sequels; she also provided a voice performance for the character in a 1973 animated series.
Nichols continued to focus on space travel as a spokesperson for NASA, where she worked to recruit women and people of color to consider careers with the agency. Among those who answered Nichols’ recruitment efforts was Sally Ride, who became the first American woman astronaut.