Nichelle Nichols, 1973, aka Lieutenant Uhura. She was one of the first African American female characters on American television not portrayed as a servant.
After Star Trek's first season in 1967, Nichols was ready to leave the show but a chat with a surprising fan, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. changed that.
King told Nichols that Star Trek was one of the few shows he watched together with his family saying, "You are our image of where we're going, you're 300 years from now, and that means that's where we are and it takes place now. Keep doing what you're doing, you are our inspiration. Don't you understand for the first time we're seen as we should be seen. You don't have a black role. You have an equal role."
One of my favorite quotes by her: “I met Whoopi Goldberg when Gene was doing The Next Generation and she had told me when Star Trek came on she was nine years old and she said she turned the TV on and saw me and ran through the house screaming: Come quick, come quick. Theres a black lady on TV and she ain't no maid.”
TooShiftyForYou on November 6th, 2018 at 04:08 UTC »
After Star Trek's first season in 1967, Nichols was ready to leave the show but a chat with a surprising fan, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. changed that.
King told Nichols that Star Trek was one of the few shows he watched together with his family saying, "You are our image of where we're going, you're 300 years from now, and that means that's where we are and it takes place now. Keep doing what you're doing, you are our inspiration. Don't you understand for the first time we're seen as we should be seen. You don't have a black role. You have an equal role."
theoriemeister on November 6th, 2018 at 04:34 UTC »
If I recall correctly, there’s an episode where she and Kirk are made to kiss, making it the first interracial kiss shown on television.
SunflowerSupreme on November 6th, 2018 at 05:19 UTC »
One of my favorite quotes by her: “I met Whoopi Goldberg when Gene was doing The Next Generation and she had told me when Star Trek came on she was nine years old and she said she turned the TV on and saw me and ran through the house screaming: Come quick, come quick. Theres a black lady on TV and she ain't no maid.”