Watch the Star Trek community pay tribute to "true hero" Nichelle Nichols
The trailblazing cast member of the original series died earlier this summer at 89
Following the death of Star Trek: The Original Series actor Nichelle Nichols in July, members of the sci-fi franchise’s extended family gathered to pay tribute to the Hollywood icon who paved the way for Black women on screen and in space. The video was compiled for Star Trek Day, an event commemorating the show’s premiere in 1966 that took place yesterday.
“This woman is a true hero,” says Sonequa Martin-Green from the set of Star Trek: Discovery. “I hope she knows that she’s gonna continue to teach me.”
Nichols’ role as Nyota Uhura was a key part of Star Trek’s groundbreaking diversity. At the time, media representation was incredibly limited, and the actor was even once encouraged to stay on the show by Martin Luther King, Jr.
“She had this air of limitlessness,” says Celia Rose Gooding, who currently plays Uhura as a Starfleet cadet on the prequel series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. “It is an honor to try and have even a fraction of the impact that she had.”