The first televised blerd with sex appeal and Black Girl Badassery, literally out of this world.

Next Up: Uhura

Just like Diahann Carroll in Julia, Nichelle Nichols is in a league of Black women who broke out of cliché roles for Blacks on TV television. The 1960s shattered new ground for the small screen and Nichols was right there in a red dress. For three years, Lieutenant Uhura of Star Trek served on the U.S.S. Enterprise starship as an African commander.

Uhura, the fixer.

November 22, 1968 would forever change the course of television history on a taboo topic for American race relations. Uhura and Captain Kirk (William Shatner) would share the first-ever interracial kiss on TV.

Season 3, Episode 10: Plato’s Stepchildren

This episode featured the Star Trek crew becoming slaves, controlled by Platonians through telekinesis. Unable to break the “force” that overpowered them, Uhura and Captain Kirk are entangled in an embrace. Despite his opposition, the two eventually succumbed to the spell.

The network, fearing backlash from its Southern affiliates, considered cutting the scene as a whole, yet moved forward with its release. In an interview, Nichols recalls widespread reaction from fans, which became the most Paramount would receive from a single Star Trek episode. One letter, she says, read, “I’m a white man from the South and I’m against the mixing of the races, but anytime a red blooded boy like Captain Kirk gets a beautiful dame in his arms that looks like Captain Uhura, he ain’t gone fight it. Now what’s wrong with that boy?”.

Participating in this scene proved to be a huge gamble for Nichols, as it happened during a time where the nation hadn’t exactly released itself from the grips of Jim Crow. More passionate about her theater career, Nichols considered leaving the show for a Broadway opportunity, that is until her “biggest fan”, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. persuaded her otherwise. She says Dr. King told her that Star Trek was one of the only television programs he allowed his children to watch past their bedttime. Nichols says Dr. King told her, “The manner in which you created this role has dignity.” When she told him about her other offer, she recalled him saying her role was necessary because, “For the first time on television we will be seen as we should be seen everyday as intelligent, quality, beautiful people who can sing, dance, but who can go into space.”

It’s a good thing she stayed. Even astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space, credits Nichol’s portrayal of Uhura with her historic career choice.

Nichelle Nichols’ story didn’t revolve around her gender or race. She was a person. Nothing more, nothing less. Well into her 80’s Nichols continues to soar to great heights, recently flying in a NASA mission.

Black Girl Badassery in space.

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