Let me be the first to say that I took Nichelle Nichols, and her groundbreaking role as Lt. Uhura on "Star Trek," for granted.
Never did I lack appreciation for Nichols' historic significance or that of her role as the U.S.S. Enterprise's communications officer. Let's be clear about that. What I'm referring to is the realization that thanks to early imprinting on my brain, I have never lived in a time where Lt. Nyota Uhura didn't exist, let alone one where I didn't think it was possible to follow her path through the cosmos.
