Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed communications officer Uhura on the original “Star Trek” series, died Saturday night in Silver City, N.M.
She was 89 years old.Nichols’ death was confirmed by Gilbert Bell, her talent manager and business partner of 15 years.Nichols shared one of the first interracial kisses in television history on “Star Trek.” That moment, with her co-star William Shatner, was a courageous move on the part of her, “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and NBC considering the climate at the time, but the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren,” which aired in 1968, was written to give all involved an out: Uhura and Captain Kirk did not choose to kiss but were instead made to do so involuntarily by aliens with the ability to control the movements of humans.
Nevertheless, it was a landmark moment.There had been a couple of interracial kisses on American television before.
A year earlier on “Movin’ With Nancy,
Read full article