Nichelle Nichols at the premiere for “Star Trek: Discovery” Source: Michael Tran / Getty
The original Lt. Uhura has made her final journey beyond the stars. Sci-fi legend Nichelle Nichols reportedly died Saturday evening. She was 89.
As reported by CNN, a statement released by her son said Nichols died of natural causes. She had previously been diagnosed with dementia.
“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,” Kyle Johnson said. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”
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Few people have had as wide an impression across industries as Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols. Her portrayal of the iconic Lt. Uhura paved the way for other strong Black characters in the Star Trek universe, including Lt. Commanders Geordi La Forge, Worf and Tuvok. In 2017, she appeared alongside Sonequa Martin-Green at the premiere of “Star Trek: Discovery.”
Nichelle Nichols and Sonequa Martin-Green at the premiere of “Star Trek: Discovery” Source: Albert L. Ortega / Getty
Nichelle Nichols was a “Woman in Motion”
Professor Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, author of “The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey Into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred,” pointed out Nichols’ 1967 Ebony cover. She leveraged her position as Lt. Uhura, the first Black astronaut on television, to push NASA in real life.
In 1977 she formed Women in Motion and helped NASA expand its diversity by recruiting more than 8,000 people of color into the ranks. A documentary of a similar name, “Woman in Motion,” highlighting her work, is streaming on Paramount+ and Vudu.
She not only helped diversify sci-fi, but she also lent her talents to NASA, helping to recruit future astronauts like Ronald McNair and Mae Jemison. Jemison, the first real-life Black woman astronaut, said that as a little girl seeing Nichols inspired her to want to enter the U.S. space program.
Source: ‘Woman In Motion’ Nichelle Nichols Best Known As Star Trek’s Lt. Uhura Dies At 89
