Jennifer Allen
By Jennifer Allen
I had not the time to write for our September issue about the passing of the beloved icon Nichelle Nichols, and so it almost feels too late to express my gratitude for her legacy now. Yet I will do my best to add to the already overwhelming tributes to such a wonderful woman.
Her role of Nyota Uhura, along with George Takei’s Hikaru Sulu, in the original Star Trek series was so pinnacle at the time as the 1960’s very rarely depicted people of color in main television roles. Most African American actors at the time were relegated to stereotypical guest appearances as joke characters or villains, and the only other show I can even remember having an East Asian lead at the time was The Green Hornet with Bruce Lee as Kato and it wasn’t until after Star Trek’s cancellation in 1969 that Sesame Street would begin with a vibrant cast of various ethnicities as well.
By the time I caught The Original Series in syndication during the mid-1970’s, the world had become much more tolerant of TV shows featuring African American leads… and I dare to say that was in no small part to both Gene Roddenberry’s vision and Nichelle Nichols’ unforgettable performance.
I’ve been lucky, along with just about everyone else born after 1966 with a TV in the house, to have always had Star Trek in my life. My mother often had the show running in the background as she cooked dinner, and I was drawn to watch it emphatically by the time I was four.
Each character had their own qualities which made them so memorable. Kirk was the adventurous swashbuckler and ladies’ man. Spock’s methodical logic was the opposite of Kirk’s more bad boy ways. McCoy finished up this iconic trio with a personality which sat somewhere between the other two. Sulu and Chekov navigated the iconic starship onward into uncharted regions of space. And of course, Uhura was level-headed, intelligent, and compassionate.
As a young girl, seeing someone like Lieutenant Uhura as an officer on the bridge was captivating. As she often was the first voice heard by many hailed ships, stations, and planets, her role as Communications Officer emphasized the importance of language. While it’s never specially discussed in the original series, the much more recent Strange New Worlds told us that prior to joining Starfleet, Uhura had learned no less than 37 Earth languages and wished to expand her knowledge to non-Earth communication as well. While this is a slight retroactive continuity to Nichelle’s original portrayal (we all remember the scene in The Undiscovered Country where she could barely speak Klingon, right?) I also think it’s a beautiful expansion of the character.
There are multitudes of scenes over the years which would show the character as both an exceptional officer and inspirational person. Her resourcefulness hotwiring the communications grid in “Who Mourns for Adonais?”, the interracial kiss from “Plato’s Stepchildren”, taking command of the ship in the Animated series episode “The Lorelei Signal”, and helping Kirk and crew steal the Enterprise in The Search for Spock are just a few standout moments for Uhura.
My all-time favorite scene for Uhura is in the Original Series episode “The Savage Curtain” where she meets and talks with a clone of Abraham Lincoln.
As he takes her hand, this exchange occurs…
Lincoln: “What a charming Negress. Oh, forgive me, my dear. I know that in my time some used that term as a description of property.”
Uhura: “But why should I object to that term, sir? You see, in our century we’ve learned not to fear words.”
Now while most think of the episode as a whole to be one of the worst in Star Trek history, Nichelle’s delivery of that line is an absolutely poignant moment for both Uhura and Roddenberry’s overall vision of the future.
I shudder to think what would have happened if Nichols had stayed the course and left the show after the first season due to dissatisfaction with how the character had been handled thus far. Her now fabled meeting with one Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. where he persuaded her to stay is one for the history books. Staying on proved to be the right choice as it turned her into a symbol of hope, encouragement, and dreams coming true for all women and people of color who’ve wished to fly beyond the stars.
It’s no wonder that Nichelle would eventually become a spokeswoman for NASA. On her website she wrote, “…I helped recruit and inspire a new generation of fearless astronauts; young men and women with a strong belief in themselves, in their potential, and in a future of learning and achievement for all humanity.”
This past September 8, now known as “Star Trek Day” because it is the anniversary of when the very first episode aired on NBC, was so poignant as many fans, cast members, and creators came together to express an outpouring of gratitude for the late actress, dancer and singer.
Celia Rose Gooding, who now portrays Uhura on Strange New Worlds said, “As I sit on the bridge of the Enterprise I feel her presence, I see her influence in those who knew her, and I strive to carry the majestic legacy forward into the future she wanted for all of us.”
Nichelle Nichols passed away on July 30, 2022, from natural causes at the age of 89. The United Launch Alliance has already announced that a portion of her ashes would be spread into deep space later this year and serve as a reminder to us all of how she continues to pave the way for younger generations… boldly going, and boldly inspiring.
Jennifer Allen works at Saathee and is also a Podcaster, Blogger, Photographer, Graphic Artist, Gamer, Martial Arts Practitioner, and an all around Pop Culture Geek. You can reach her at saathee@saathee.com
