Nichelle Nichols Didn’t Leave ‘Star Trek’ Thanks To Dr. King
When the 1960’s come to your head, you think about civil rights movement and the activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
You think about his message and the fight he had to bring equality. But the 60’s also had one the most iconic shows to ever hit television. Star Trek.
Nichelle Nichols played Lt. Nyota Uhura fourth in command of the starship on Star Trek. In the 60’s that was a big deal because it showed that diversity could exist.
The Washington Post reports that during the time of the civil rights movement, it was crucial for hope in the movement to rise. A glimpse of the future could be seen in the show every week when Nicholas came on.
In 1966, after the shows first season, Nicholas wanted to leave the show to perform on a Broadway production.
But her number one fan convinced her otherwise. Who was that fan? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
King was a huge fan of the show because it represented everything that he was fighting and working towards.
While at a fundraiser one weekend in Beverly Hills, she was told that a “special fan” wanted to see her.
Surprised to see Dr. King, he said, “Yes, Ms. Nichols, I am that fan. I am your best, greatest fan, and my family are your greatest fans. As a matter of fact, this is the only show that my wife Corretta and I will allow our little children to watch, to stay up late to watch because it’s past their bedtime.’”
“He said, ‘don’t you know what I’m trying to achieve here,’” said Nicholas in an interview with the TV Academy Foundation. “I just stood there, realizing every word he was saying was the truth,” she recalled. “And at that moment, the world tilted for me.”
Nichols returned to the show and never regretted her decision to come back to it.
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(Source: The Washington Post)
(Photo Credit: Janice Ogata / PR Photos)
