Nichelle Nichols, a trailblazing Black actress who portrayed communications officer Nyota Uhura on the well-liked series "Star Trek" in the 1960s, passed away at the age of 89.
On the official uhura.com website, her son Kyle Johnson made the following statement: "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. She will, however, continue to emit light, just like the newly discovered ancient galaxies.
Nichols passed away in Silver City, New Mexico, where she shared a home with her son, according to a family spokesman.
Quickly, tributes began to flood in, including those from a long list of ardent " Trekkies."
William Shatner, who played the USS Enterprise’s Captain James T. Kirk, sent his condolences to Nichols’ family.
“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. I will certainly miss her.”
George Takei, who as helmsman Sulu shared the bridge with Lieutenant Uhura, called her “trailblazing and incomparable.”
And US 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 shows us a future where unity, dignity, and respect are cornerstones of every society,” he said in a statement.
Nichols made history with one of the first interracial kisses on US television — a 1968 embrace shared with Shatner (a kiss deemed worthy of a separate entry in Wikipedia).
Martin Luther King Jr. himself once praised Nichols, who broke ground with her powerful performance at a time when Black actors more often were cast as servants or criminals.