Topic: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek's Uhura (1932-2022)
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49013 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-31-2022 02:07 PM
Nichelle Nichols, the actress who played communications officer Nyota Uhura on the original series of "Star Trek," has died at the age of 89.
From her son, Kyle Johnson, in a post made to her Facebook page:
I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years.
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.
Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.
In the late 1970s, Nichols used her celebrity to advocate for and help recruit minorities to join NASA's astronaut corps. As described in a NASA feature article from 2012:
She considers one of her greatest accomplishments helping to open the door for the first women and multi-cultural candidates to become astronauts.
In a speech in Washington, D.C., Nichols criticized NASA for failing to select qualified women and minority candidates for the astronaut corps and she gave some examples of qualified people who had applied but were rejected up to five times. NASA was having their fifth or sixth recruitment, but women and ethnic minorities felt they were disenfranchised and stopped applying, she said.
NASA officials attending her speech responded by inviting Nichols to NASA Headquarters the next day. They wanted her to assist them in persuading women and people of ethnic backgrounds that NASA was serious about recruiting them. "I said you've got to be joking; I didn't take them seriously," she said.
John Yardley, who was involved in all NASA's manned space flights for almost two decades, directed the teams that built the capsules for the initial Mercury and Gemini mission and was a key manager for the development of the space shuttles, assured her it was not a joke.
She accepted the request and she succeeded at attracting excellent astronaut candidates. As a result, NASA selected six women, three African-American men and an Asian.
AstroCasey Member
Posts: 70 From: Registered: Feb 2019
posted 07-31-2022 02:19 PM
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sts205cdr Member
Posts: 725 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Jun 2001
posted 07-31-2022 02:20 PM
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Headshot Member
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posted 07-31-2022 02:28 PM
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mode1charlie Member
Posts: 1353 From: Honolulu, HI Registered: Sep 2010
posted 07-31-2022 02:49 PM
R.I.P., thank you, and ad astra Nichelle Nichols.
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2873 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 07-31-2022 03:03 PM
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randy Member
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posted 07-31-2022 03:18 PM
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Kite Member
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posted 07-31-2022 03:58 PM
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ManInSpace Member
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posted 07-31-2022 04:13 PM
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SpaceAngel Member
Posts: 410 From: Maryland Registered: May 2010
posted 07-31-2022 04:15 PM
May Nichelle rest in peace and we thank you for your years of entertaining in the original "Star Trek" TV series.
SpaceCadet1983 Member
Posts: 403 From: Pacific NW, United States Registered: May 2012
posted 07-31-2022 04:16 PM
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Rocketman! Member
Posts: 144 From: Redmond, Washington, USA Registered: Dec 2007
posted 07-31-2022 05:01 PM
She lived long, and we all prospered because of it.
ejectr Member
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posted 07-31-2022 05:24 PM
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ea757grrl Member
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posted 07-31-2022 05:29 PM
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posted 07-31-2022 06:15 PM
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skyguard23 Member
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posted 07-31-2022 06:18 PM
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capoetc Member
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posted 07-31-2022 06:30 PM
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MCroft04 Member
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posted 07-31-2022 08:50 PM
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edorr Member
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posted 07-31-2022 08:59 PM
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oly Member
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posted 08-01-2022 12:48 AM
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David C Member
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posted 08-01-2022 06:29 AM
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issman1 Member
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posted 08-01-2022 07:20 AM
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Rick Mulheirn Member
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posted 08-01-2022 07:33 AM
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Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3501 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 08-01-2022 03:28 PM
I remember the remarkable Lt. Uhura from the very first episode of Star Trek I saw in 1969. She was and remains an iconic corner-stone of an iconic TV series. Some people mistakenly believe that science fiction is silly, vapid and ephemeral. Not so! Those 55-year-old episodes of TS:TOS will still be watched 55 years from now when most who read this will be gone. Thank you, Nichelle. Hailing frequencies closed.
carl walker Member
Posts: 402 From: Netherlands Registered: Feb 2006
posted 08-01-2022 03:53 PM
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Gilbert Member
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posted 08-02-2022 08:11 AM
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dss65 Member
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posted 08-02-2022 12:14 PM
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rjb1elec Member
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posted 08-02-2022 01:36 PM
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gareth89 Member
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posted 08-02-2022 02:01 PM
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MartinAir Member
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posted 08-02-2022 03:14 PM
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star51L Member
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posted 08-02-2022 04:40 PM
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RobertB Member
Posts: 261 From: Israel Registered: Nov 2012
posted 08-03-2022 06:10 AM
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AlanC Member
Posts: 178 From: Scotland Registered: Nov 2014
posted 08-06-2022 07:13 PM
I was lucky enough to meet her at the Excel in London in 2014 at a Star Trek convention. She looked frail but she held my hand so tightly. Such a lovely woman. RIP
Grounded! Member
Posts: 511 From: Bennington, Vermont, USA Registered: Feb 2011
posted 08-07-2022 11:35 AM
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Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49013 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-25-2022 12:56 PM
From Celestis Memorial Spaceflights (via Twitter):
We're honored to announce the late Nichelle Nichols will be joining the "crew" aboard the Celestis Enterprise Flight, headed to deep space alongside fellow Star Trek icons.
Posts: 3655 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 09-05-2022 09:52 AM
The National Archives now has online three images from this photo series. They show actress Nichelle Nichols at the Kennedy Space Center in 1977 and 1981.
posted 07-31-2022 02:07 PM
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