The death of the “Star Trek” heroine .. helped “NASA” choose astronauts

American actress Nicholas Nichols, who was known for her distinguished role in the famous “Star Trek” series, died Saturday night, Sunday, at the age of 89, her family announced in a statement on Sunday.

Her son, Kyle, revealed on her official website, uhura.com, “My mother, Nichelle Nichols, passed away of a natural death yesterday evening. She lived a rich life and set an example for all of us.”

A family spokesman explained that the actress died in Silver City (New Mexico), where she was living with her son.

The former dancer and singer, who portrayed the Swahili-speaking African-American female police officer Nyota Uhura in the 1960s science fiction series, quickly became a symbol of the civil rights struggle.

And Nichols, as a black woman in a high-ranking position, was admired by Martin Luther King, who asked her not to withdraw from the series as she intended to do, assuring her, according to what the actress revealed, that “Star Trek” is the only series that his children are allowed to watch.

In 1968, the kiss that Nichols exchanged with William Shatner as Captain Kirk was the first of its kind on American screen between a white man and a black woman.
In the 1970s, Nichols prepared a video to help NASA select astronauts, especially among women and minorities.

Actor George Takei, who is also a prominent figure in “Star Trek”, tweeted, commenting on the news of her death, “My heart is heartbroken. My eyes shine like the stars you lie next to, my dear friend.”
It is worth mentioning that Grace Dale Nichols was born on December 28, 1932 in Chicago, and began her career at the age of fourteen, a dancer and singer in the Duke Ellington band.

Nicholas is especially known for her role in the first series of “Star Trek”, and she also acted in other television series, recorded two albums, and participated as a dancer in the opera “Burgie and Peace” alongside Sammy Davis Jr.

Nicholas played the role of Uhura, the name derived from the Swahili word for freedom, in the first six films adapted from the “Star Trek” series, according to “AFP”.