By Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Rojek, DMA
From www.af.mil

Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura on the original Star Trek did much to recruit African Americans into the NASA space program.
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) - She may never have traveled aboard an actual space shuttle, but in the 1960s Nichelle Nichols inspired a generation by boldly going where no African American had gone before.
With the debut of “Star Trek” in 1966, Nichols’ role as Lt. Uhura not only broke racial barriers for African American actresses, but it also motivated future real-world astronauts like Air Force Col. Guion Bluford Jr. and Dr. Mae Jemison.
Born Dec. 28, 1932, in Robbins, Ill., Nichols started in show business in her mid-teens, touring with musicians like Duke Ellington. She continued singing and stage acting as she got older, but also made a few on-screen appearances, including a guest spot on a television series called “The Lieutenant” in 1964. It just so happened that the creator of that show, Gene Rodenberry, remembered her when he began writing a new science-fiction series for television, asking Nichols to take a role in “Star Trek.”
Rodenberry and Nichols created the role of Uhura together and broke the stereotypes placed upon African American actresses. Up until that point, they usually played housekeepers or other subservient roles. Nichols didn’t quite understand the impact of the role until she was thinking about quitting after the first season.
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