Nichelle Nichols, an actor whose role as the communications chief Uhura in the original Star Trek franchise in the 1960s helped break ground on TV by showing a Black woman in a position of authority and who shared with co-star William Shatner one of the first interracial kisses on American prime-time television, has died aged 89.
Nichols, a statuesque dancer and nightclub chanteuse, had a few acting credits when she was cast in Star Trek. She said she viewed the TV series as a “nice steppingstone” to Broadway stardom, hardly anticipating that a low-tech science-fiction show would become a cultural touchstone and bring her enduring recognition.
