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Star Trek
I know, she was more than this. Nichelle Nichols was an extraordinary woman from extraordinary times. She changed television history. She was the first woman officer on a prime time television show. She was the first black woman, officer on a prime time television show. Martin Luther King was a fan and kept her from quitting. Maybe she didn’t see herself as a visionary, but she touched the lives of many. Maybe she didn’t know how many people truly loved her. Do any of us really know how much we are loved?
I didn’t tell Nichelle I loved her. Oh, my family knew.
My childhood was built on Star Trek and Uhura was one of my celebrity crushes. Yes, I know. She was Nichelle. I have seen her in many other roles, but Uhura is forever. I saw her as the star she was. Not the person behind the roles.
She had many roles. Wife. Mother. Friend. She touched many lives. Directly, indirectly.
She inspired young people to pursue science. Some became scientists, even astronauts because of her. Uhura, Swahili for freedom. She inspired that, too. The blending of science, music, spirit- this was my inspiration.
Seriously, there is nothing I can’t tell you about her that I didn’t get from a book or an article or from watching he across the span of decades. I can see her just as clearly as if I were…
