Nichelle Nichols (African Diversity in Trek)

The main reason why Star Trek has held up for as long as it did is because we all want to believe that the human race makes it out of the current state we live in. With war, poverty, disease, greed and Trump in the foreground of our future, it's good to know that it's possible to live past this. Having the technology to travel through the stars, communicating with a dozen species and traveling with friends in space is something I couldn't imagine if it wasn't for Star Trek.

Many people find Star Trek to be boring, especially before J.J. Abrams took over with his view of the franchise. This is because it's not all about the action, suspense and war, but about family, friendship, togetherness and us living in a world together as one. Sure Trek has it's share of villains and action-the Borg are a perfect example-but what makes this franchise standout is what the goal of it's all about: exploring our galaxy together and beating poverty.

Not only is Star Trek the first show on television to really give us a utopian view of the future, but it's also a milestone starring a multi-ethic cast of actors. During the 1960s, the Cold War began and then of course Vietnam. People needed hope and looked to television to entertain them during this time of crisis, a lot like television does for us today during our current world struggles. Nichelle Nichols, an African actress with a talent for singing and acting, is perhaps the one lead in the cast to have faced the most problems in the role. 

Beautiful much? Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura

In the third season of the show, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) shares the first interracial kiss with Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and the only way for the sensor to allow this, was if the characters were under the influence of an alien power so as not to be solely out of love as this would infuriate the studio. According to the website Memory Alpha, the scene "was, at the behest of NBC executives worried that Southern affiliates might refuse to air the episode, filmed with and without the kiss, but Nichols and Shatner consciously sabotaged the non-kiss takes so that there would be no choice but to leave the kiss in the final version." So, it ended up in the episode and thus history was made in the future...if you get what I mean. Nichelle dealt with a ton of racism from the studio when she learned "studio executives were withholding her fantail" during the first seasons of the show. The fact that she had a major fanbase was unheard for an African-American in society. She was set to leave after the first season, but was convinced to stay afterwards when she was told that her role was "too important a cultural impact to leave." The person? Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. She pushed through it and left a lasting impression on many Africans to pursue a careers in acting, namely Whoopi Goldberg and LeVar Burton. 

Not only does Dr. King give her this ever-lasting advice, he also says to her that Star Trek "is the only show that [his] wife Coretta and I allow my children to watch-to stay up and watch." How awesome would it be if your hero, one who speaks up for you and demands equality, walks up to you telling you to continue playing a role that has left so many impressions on people?! In the video below, courtesy of the Archive of American Television, you can watch Nichelle's personal experience with Dr. King and how she is persuaded and convinced to stay on the show.

The benefit of making a science-fiction production, is that you can indirectly address issues currently affecting our society. As stated earlier, interracial marriages and relationships were looked down upon in the 1960s America. That is not to say that relationships did not exist, but it was simply not talked about. Let's not forget about segregation in America. With the experience Nichelle Nichols has, through the tough times and the bleak occurrences, she can now live with being one that so many look up to in entertainment. Brining it all back to Star Trek, creator Gene Roddenberry pushed the boundaries with what was accepted in television and stopped at nothing to ensure that not only Nichelle, but the entire cast got respect to the best of his ability. There are bumps along the way and of course even today as stated earlier we still have issues, but what started in the 60s pushed through and now we have a new Star Trek cast of diversity. Live long and Prosper! 

Nichelle taking a break between shoot

DO YOU THINK STAR TREK WAS A MAJOR IMPACT FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS ON TELEVISION? WOULD YOU HAVE STAYED ON THE SHOW DEALING WITH RACISM? COMMENT BELOW AND LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS! THANKS FOR READING!

Sources:

Quotes on Nichelle Nichols:
Memory Alpha 

Image of Uhura at her station:
Star Trek.com

Video Courtesy of
Archive of American Television

Uhura on bike courtesy of:
Huffington Post
Nichelle Nichols On Having First Major Black Female TV Role And That First Interracial Kiss On ‘Star Trek’