Actress Nichelle Nichols caused a sensation in the 1960s for her role as Lieutenant Uhura in the TV series, Star Trek. It was one of the first times a black woman was cast as a main character in a major television show. And not only was she a main character, but Lieutenant Uhura was an intelligent and powerful leader
After the first season of Star Trek, and Nichols decided to pursue a career on Broadway. On the night that she told the producers of Star Trek that she would not return for season two, she attended an NAACP fundraiser where she met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He shared he was a huge fan of the show and that he and his wife, Coretta, let the kids stay up late to watch Star Trek together as a family.
Nichols told Dr. King, “I wish I could be out there marching with you.” And he responded, "No, no, no. You don't understand…You are marching. You are reflecting what we are fighting for.” Nichelle sheepishly told Dr. King that she had just quit the show that day. That night Dr. King successfully convinced Nichelle what an opportunity for positive change her role in Star Trek was. Nichelle returned to the historic role and continued to play Lieutenant Uhura until the shows end and after in many of the Star Trek Movies. She and William Shatner made waves in 1968 with one of the first interracial kisses portrayed on U.S. television, The Shatner/Nichols kiss was considered groundbreaking, and was well received by the public.
We are all so lucky that Dr King was a Trekie and that Nichelle Nichols used her role in a sci-fi show to effect social change.