It is with great sadness I write that legendary American actress, singer, and dancer Nichelle Nichols ( born Grace Dell Nichols) best known for her portrayal of Nyota Uhuraa (Uhuraa was taken from the Swahili for "freedom") an officer of African descent in Star Trek: The Original Series, and its film sequels. has passed away on July 30 at age 89, her family announced in a statement.
"Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes
and passed away" her son Kyle shared on the actress' official website. He added, "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. Hers was a life well lived and
as such a model for us all."
A family spokesman said the actress died in Silver City, New Mexico, where she was living with her son.
Her groundbreaking performances in Star Trek, which was light years ahead of its time corresponded with the Civil Rights movement in the United States, and helped set the
first standard for diversity and inclusion in mainstream screen
entertainment. Not only was it a rarity to see a black woman on primetime TV, it was even rarer to see a black woman cast in such a high powered role. She was portrayed displaying a command of a non-menial job, communications officer on the USS Enterprise almost unheard of on
television, which Black women were often shown as maids and nannies.
Nichol's impact was immediate and undeniable, making her an icon and hero to countless viewers across the globe.
The original “Star Trek” premiered on NBC on Sept. 8, 1966. The legendary sci-fi TV series promised to seek out new life and new civilisations which it did in abundance. As far as exploring new planets, it entered virgin territory as far as casting went. The Star Trek franchise (it later became a cartoon and a series of films) devised by Gene Roddenberry, reflected it's creator's optimism, with different nationalities, races and species happily co-existing. Its multicultural, multiracial cast was Gene's message to viewers that in the far-off future, the 23rd century. human diversity would be fully accepted.
Nichelle went on to make American television history with the first scripted interracial lip to lip kiss with Star Trek's Captain Kirk, William Shatner, in the 1968 episode "Plato's Stepchildren." representing another way in which the series, as well as its fictional crew, boldly went where none had gone before.
Nichols, radiating professionalism and 1960s mod-style sex appeal from
her chair on the Enterprise’s bridge, opened a channel to Hollywood for
stars like Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson, and Pam Grier. She was an integral part of one of the most influential shows of the
1960s that impacted the imagination of space exploration and opened
doors for future equality and inclusion for women.
The death of this Star Trek legend opened the floodgates of mourners who remembered her not only for her cosmic contribution to the entertainment industry
as one of the first Black women featured in a major TV series, but also
for the warmth and generosity of her soul.
I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Nichelle,"
wrote Shatner on Twitter, who starred alongside Nichols in the original
TV series. "She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable
character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the
US & throughout the world."
Shatner said he "will certainly miss her" and sent his "love and condolences to her family."
" I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle
Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS
Enterprise," her co-star George Takei wrote on Twitter. "For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend."
Kate Mulgrew, who portrayed Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek:
Voyager, praised Nichols for pathing the way for female actresses.
Sharing a photo of Nichols in her Lt Uhura role to Twitter, Mulgrew wrote: “Nichelle Nichols was The First.
“She was a trailblazer who navigated a very challenging trail with
grit, grace, and a gorgeous fire we are not likely to see again. May she
Rest In Peace.”
While actress Jeri Ryan, who played Borg drone
Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager, said: “RIP to a true legend. Her
legacy will live forever” in her tribute.
And U.S. President Joe Biden said Nichols "redefined what is possible for Black Americans and women."
"Our nation is forever indebted to inspiring artists like Nichelle
Nichols, who show us a future where unity, dignity, and respect are
cornerstones of every society," he said in a statement.
Nichelle Nichols (b.Grace Dell Nichols), the daughter of a chemist
and a homemaker, was born in Robbins, Illinois. on Dec. 28, 1932, and grew
up in nearby Chicago.
After studying classical ballet and
Afro-Cuban dance, she made her professional debut at 14 at the College
Inn, a high society Chicago supper club. Her performance, in a tribute
to the pioneering Black dancer Katherine Dunham, reputedly impressed
bandleader Duke Ellington, who was in the audience. A few years later,
newly re christened Nichelle, she briefly appeared in his traveling show
as a dancer and singer.
At 18, she married Foster Johnson, a
tap dancer 15 years her senior. They had a son before divorcing. As a
single mother, Nichols continued working the grind of the nightclub
circuit.
In the late 1950s, she moved to Los
Angeles and entered a cultural milieu that included Pearl Bailey,
Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr., with whom she had what she described
as a “short, stormy, exciting” affair. She landed an uncredited role in
director Otto Preminger’s film version of “Porgy and Bess” (1959) and
assisted her then-boyfriend, actor and director Frank Silvera, in his
theatrical stagings.
In 1963, she won a guest role on
“The Lieutenant,” an NBC military drama created by Roddenberry. She
began an affair with Roddenberry, who was married, but broke things off
when she discovered he was also seriously involved with actress Majel
Barrett. “I could not be the other woman to the other woman,” she wrote
in her 1994, autobiography, "Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories," which became a best seller. (Roddenberry later married Barrett, who played a
nurse on “Star Trek.”)
Nichols’s second marriage, to songwriter and arranger Duke Mondy, ended in divorce.Nichols on Dec. 28, 1932, in Robbins,
Illinois, started her career as a dancer and singer, and she wanted to
be the first Black ballerina when she was younger. She originally danced during performances by Duke Ellington and his band, and got her
break when Ellington asked her to sing one night when the lead performer
became sick.
Once in Hollywood, she made her film debut in
1959’s "Porgy and Bess," dancing with Sammy Davis Jr. the first of a string of film and TV roles that
led up to "Star Trek."
She was widely praised for breaking down barriers in an era when Black women were rarely seen in prominent TV roles. Nichols also used her celebrity to shed light on the civil rights struggle in the '60s. Early in the series, Nichols considered quitting her role as Lt. Uhura having been offered work on Broadway.
But a chance encounter with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made her
reconsider. In a 2011 NPR interview, Nichols said that the late civil rights leader kept her from leaving the show. Telling her it was the only show
he would allow his children to watch. Nichols explained that at a fundraiser for the NAACP, King urged her to remain on the show rather than leaving for Broadway. “When we see you, we see ourselves. And we see ourselves as intelligent, and beautiful and proud,” she recalled King telling her. The following Monday she rescinded her resignation to show creator Gene Roddenberry.
In 2016, she spoke to ABC Audio about how she lent her star status to NASA decades later to encourage diversity in its ranks of real-life space travelers;
"NASA recruited me, hired me to recruit women and minorities for the space shuttle program. And until that time there were no people of color even considered," she explained, adding with a laugh, "And after that, we were all over the place!" "I interviewed quite a few young women that were interested in that and who navigated a very challenging trail with grit, grace, and a gorgeous fire we are not likely to see again.
didn't think they had a chance. And one interview with me and they knew they did."
In just four months, Nichols was credited with bringing in more than
8,000 applications, of which more than 1,600 were women and more than
1,000 were people of color.
Her many film roles ranged from 1974's Isaac Hayes Blaxploitation
movie "Truck Turner" to 2005’s Ice Cube comedy "Are We There Yet?"
For many years, she performed a one-woman
show honoring Black entertainers such as Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt and
Leontyne Price. She also was credited as co-author of two
science-fiction novels featuring a heroine named Saturna.
Nichols did not appear in director
J.J. Abrams’s “Star Trek” film reboot that included actress Zoe Saldana
as Uhura. But she gamely continued to promote the franchise and spoke
with candor about her part in a role that eclipsed all her others.
“If you’ve got to be typecast,” Nichols told the UPI news service, “at least it’s someone with dignity.”
On
TV, Nichols had voice roles in the animated series "Futurama," "The
Simpsons," "Spider-Man" and "Gargoyles." Nichols also appeared in the
daytime drama "The Young and the Restless" and NBCs "Heroes." playing the great aunt of a young boy with mystical powers.
In 2016 she received a lifetime achievement award from the Saturn Awards in 2016, which honor sci-fi entertainment.
Nichols was a regular at “Star Trek” conventions and events into her
80s,, and she was beloved by fans everywhere for her warm , caring presence and devotion to Trek's ideals. Howevr her schedule became limited starting in 2018 when her son
announced that she was suffering from advanced dementia.
Nichols was placed under a court conservatorship in the control of
her son Johnson, who said her mental decline made her unable to manage
her affairs or make public appearances.
Some, including Nichols’ managers and her friend, film producer and
actor Angelique Fawcett, objected to the conservatorship and sought more
access to Nichols and to records of Johnson’s financial and other moves
on her behalf. Her name was at times invoked at courthouse rallies that
sought the freeing of Britney Spears from her own conservatorship.
But the court consistently sided with Johnson, and over the
objections of Fawcett allowed him to move Nichols to New Mexico, where
she lived with him in her final years.
Nichols leaves behind a rich legacy of breaking boundaries,racial barriers, fighting for
civil rights, and inspiring many to dream and believe beyond their surroundings and
humble beginnings. She is survived by her son, Kyle Johnson. She also leaves
behind three living Star Trek cast members, William Shatner, George
Takei, and Walter Koenig.
As she makes her final journey around the stars , my deepest condolences go out to her friends and family. She will not be forgotten. Let's keep her memory alive by spreading the message of peace and equality amongst all people.
