Nichelle Nichols’s legacy: Going boldly

By Ashley Benkarski  NASHVILLE, TN — Nichelle Nichols, the legendary Communications Officer Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, was born Dec. 28, 1932 in Robbins, Illinois. She passed away July 30, 2022. Nichols would have been 91 this year. Nichols led a full life, pursuing her passions of singing, dancing, and acting, all the while inspiring countless others to live boldly and authentically. A talented dancer and songstress, she began her entertainment career singing with Duke Ellington and his band.& But it was her breakout role as Lt. Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series that quite literally changed the world.& Back in the 1960s, there were very little leading roles held by nonwhite, women actors. As Lt. Uhura, Nichols was one of the first Black women to hold such a role on American television. And not only was hers a leading role, it was one that saw her as fourth in command of the U.S.S. Enterprise.& She joined a racially and culturally diverse cast on a show that dared to imagine a future where there were no borders to science and space travel. Exploration and excellence were available to anyone who desired them. She was even one-half of one of the first...