We’ve lost another important celebrity that left a mark on many people’s childhood and adult lives, Nichelle Nichols recently passed at the age of 89 of natural causes which was reported to the media by her son Kyle Johnson. Who was Nichelle and what did she contribute in her time with us? Let’s get into some of Nichelle Nichols past, both in and beyond Star Trek where she was most known.
Nichols was best known for her role in Star Trek, which was a 1960s series based on a sci-fi world. She was one of the first United States black actresses to play an authority figure with her role as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura.
But what nobody would expect from her first beginning in the series was that Nichelle actually was given a position in Nasa for her work in the series and as a way to encourage more diversity in the world of astronauts.
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At the time, Nasa was trying to get word out more for their work as well as trying to encourage black individuals and women to work towards this career more for better diversity as well as more input and points of view.
Nichelle’s role in Star Trek opened doors for herself and for others that nobody would have originally expected but that certainly led to amazing things. Not only has Star Trek continued to be a thing of nostalgia and love for many fans throughout the decades, but it’s so much more.
Nichelle Nichols’ work with Nasa meant amazing things for scientific progress and for continued diversity in the world of space exploration, and she was an inspirational figure for many young women and African-Americans throughout her time in the field.
She was considered a true trailblazer in defining what is possible for minorities and for women in the world of acting, space exploration, knowledge, careers, and more. A black women being a part of Nasa in the late 1900s meant everything to the U.S., and it showed.
What most don’t know though, is that Nichols almost left the show for another opportunity and was convinced to stay with gentle insistence from her directors as well as the public’s praise for having such an important and groundbreaking role as a non-stereotypical black women in TV.
Martin Luther King Jr. was an important factor in her decision to stay, when he sat with her and gushed about the importance and strength of her role. After the decision was made, Nichols said she stuck with it and didn’t look back. And it was a wonderful thing.
She not only had the role in the series but in 6 following movies related to the series, which have been loved by many over decades of time. After that was when Nasa recruited her as an ambassador to help recruit more women and minorities into the program.
Nichelle’s work was amazing and she really continued to work hard for paving the road of success for many women and African-Americans to follow behind her footsteps, and the world was hit hard by her loss with many important people speaking of her great work.
There’s so much to know behind the career and life of Nichelle Nichols and many other actors and actresses you enjoyed watching on screen throughout the years, but many mourned this woman’s life because of how important she was to the Star Trek fans and Star Trek world in her occupation. Now you know a little more about this actress that left her mark on our hearts, and even if you weren’t a big fan of Star Trek or of Nichols this loss was quite the one for us all.