Serious loss in the world of the television landscape and beyond. Nichelle Nichols died yesterday at the age of 89known to all for the role of Lieutenant Uhura in the original Star Trek series, which aired from 1966 to 1969. A very important part for the actress and for what she represented as she continued the fight against racial discrimination.
Nichelle Nichols died at 89
Suffice it to say that his character became the protagonist of a historic television moment. In the tenth episode of the third season, entitled Humiliated by force majeureLieutenant Uhura and Captain Kirk (William Shatner) they share what was effectively the first interracial kiss in TV history. The episode was even censored by the BBC in England because it was not considered suitable for a young audience.
Nichelle remained attached to Lieutenant Uhura for years, also playing her in six Star Trek films and lending her voice to the animated series of the franchise. She also guest starred on an episode of Futurama. The interpretation of her was loved in unison, both by the public and by the insiders, and even Martin Luther King complimented her. He was the one who convinced her to stay after Nichelle had expressed a desire to leave the world of Star Trek to return to theater.
We’re deeply saddened to report the passing of Nichelle Nichols – a trailblazer, an inspiration, and so much more. She will be deeply missed. https://t.co/iBwyOPaxTP
– Star Trek (@StarTrek) July 31, 2022
Nichelle’s influence extended far beyond the world of Star Trek: in 1992 she earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and became the first black actress to imprint her hand in front of Hollywood’s Grauman’s Chinese Theater. But that is not all, because in 2015 it flew into space as part of the SOFIA telescope project (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) by NASA. Even the social pages of the aerospace agency wanted to remember the late actress with great messages of condolence.
The announcement of Nichelle’s death, which occurred from natural causes, was given by his son Kyle Johnson who explained how his light would always remain on for all future generations, like the ancient galaxies discovered in the world of Star Trek. The message concluded with the famous Vulcan greeting “Long life and prosperity”.
