Vale: Nichelle Nichols

Pioneering actor Nichelle Nichols, best known for Star Trek, has died, aged 89.

Her death was confirmed on Sunday by her son, Kyle Johnson, on her website. Johnson said his mother died of natural causes.

“Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson said his mother’s life was “well-lived and as such a model for” everyone.

Nichols broke barriers as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on Star Trek from as one of the first Black female leads on US television, initially from 1966 – 1969. Initially, she considered leaving the show, feeling her character lacked depth. However, after meeting Martin Luther King, Jr., who was a fan of the show, she decided to stay.

It was then she worked alongside creator Gene Roddenberry to give Uhura revolutionary authority and dominance, something not seen prior in that era of television.

“When I was on those wonderful sets with all of the cast members, the universe of Star Trek began to feel not so much a fantasy but an opportunity to lay the groundwork for what we might actually achieve by the 23rd Century … a bold aspiration and an affirmation of Uhura as we eagerly await her arrival,” Nichols wrote on her website.

One moment that broke boundaries, in 1968, was a kiss between Nichols’ Uhura and and William Shatner’s Capt. James T. Kirk on the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren.” The episode helped to re-shape what viewers thought of as acceptable on television and was an early statement about the acceptance of interracial marriages.

After the original Star Trek ended, Nichols became a spokesperson for NASA, according to her website. She helped to recruit astronauts and appeared in Public service announcements.

Rod Roddenberry, executive producer of the current iterations of “Star Trek” and son of the show’s creator Gene Roddenberry tweeted, “It is with great sorrow that we report the passing on the legendary icon Nichelle Nichols. No words.”

On Sunday NASA also remembered Nichols as a global inspiration who helped it evolve.

“We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek actor, trailblazer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible,” the agency tweeted. “She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars.”

“I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise, and who passed today at age 89. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend,” tweeted George Takei, who played alongside Nichols as Star Trek helmsman Hikaru Sulu.

Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., added, “Representation matters. Excellence in representation matters even more. Thank you, #NichelleNichols,” she wrote. “Rest well, ancestor.”

Source: NBC