Another Giant from the Sixties Has Gone

Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died at the age of 89.

Her son Kyle Johnson said Nichols died Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico.

“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. 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,” Johnson wrote on her official Facebook page Sunday. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”

Nichelle Nichols's impact on culture in the 1960s can hardly be unsderstated. Dr. King understood her omportance, which is why he persuaded her to stay with the show when she wanted to drop out. A generation of Black girls came to believe that space could be theirs, too. A few did so.