In 1966, a nine-year-old black girl turned on her television to see Star Trek airing, and to her amazement, saw a woman with her skin color operating a major communications station and in a position of importance among mostly white men. Amazed and excited, this little girl ran to her mother, saying, “Momma!! There’s a black lady on television and she ain’t no maid!”
The young child would grow up to become Whoopi Goldberg, one of the most iconic and lauded actors of our time (and who eventually gained a role on Star Trek: The Next Generation as the Ten-Forward host Guinan). Of course, the young black woman she saw on television was Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek (from 1966 to 1969 on TV and then from 1979 to 1991 in the original series movie universe), a bright and capable woman who held an important position on the Enterprise. It is difficult to imagine anyone but Nichols in that role; however, she nearly quit after the first season of Star Trek and might have had a very different career if not for a conversation with one of the most famous African-American Civil Rights leaders in history.
Nichelle Nichols felt confined by her Star Trek role and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. convinced her not to quit the show
As the first season of Star Trek drew to a close, Nichols approached show creator Gene Roddenberry and told him she wanted to leave the show and pursue other career possibilities, including opportunities on Broadway. She felt confined by limited screen time/repetitive lines, and the racist behavior of some of the Paramount executives. Dismayed, Roddenberry asked that she take the weekend to think it over. Nichols agreed, and it was this decision that would change the course of her life and career.
Over the course of that same weekend, Nichols attended an NAACP event and met the venerable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was delighted to meet her. That’s right—Dr. King was a Star Trek fan! During the course of their conversation, Nichols mentioned how she planned to quit the show and pursue a singing career instead. Imagine her surprise when Dr. King said, “You can’t!”
It is easy to imagine how startled Nichols must have been at this response. However, Dr. King told her that while she may not realize it, her role on Star Trek was pivotal, groundbreaking, and served as an example to other young black people of an intelligent woman, an officer, who wasn’t there to clean floors or act as Captain Kirk’s maid. She allowed others like her to aspire to something greater than what the current expectations were for black people at the time. Dr. King all but insisted that she retain her role, and, upon reflection of his words, Nichols remained on Star Trek and gave life to our beloved Lieutenant Nyota Uhura over the next several decades, both on television and the big screen.
Sadly, Nichols left us on July 30, 2022. However, she left a lasting legacy of what it means to inspire those seeking an example within their community and the importance of how that example can change multiple lives for the better.
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