After “Star Trek” was canceled in the late 1980s, Nichelle Nichols was hired by NASA to recruit women and minorities for the space shuttle program. '”Believe it or not, Nichols herself has been on a mission outside of the Earth’s atmosphere. She once thanked me for my recruitment efforts while under contract to NASA, saying ‘If it hadn’t been for you I might not be here. Nichols played Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek television series, as well as the succeeding motion pictures. Nichelle Nichols played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the groundbreaking TV series Star Trek.
Star Trek Week: How Nichelle Nichols Changed the Face of NASA. In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, Actress Nichelle Nichols, who was born in Robbins, Illinois on December 29, 1936, is shown. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offerThe Star Trek actress, Nichelle Nichols, shown here in 1977, was employed by NASA to recruit new astronauts into the late 1980s.Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? In late 2015, Nichols flew aboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Nichols' younger brother, Thomas, was a member of the In her autobiography, Nichols stated that she was romantically involved with Nichols has married twice, first to dancer Foster Johnson (1917–1981). Try watching this video on www.youtube.com, or enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser. When NASA asked her to help recruit a new generation of astronauts for the shuttle program, Nichols broke new ground with her efforts to reach out to women and minorities. Nichelle Nichols (born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932) is an American actress, singer, and voice artist.She sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before turning to acting. After the cancellation of Star Trek, Nichols volunteered her time in a special project with NASA to recruit minority and female personnel for the space agency. Please refresh the page and try again.Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. That is when Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s Lt. Uhura, challenges them by asking the question: Where are my people?. Before joining the crew on Star Trek, she sang and danced with Duke Ellington's band.Nichols was always interested in space travel. She flew aboard the C-141 Astronomy Observatory, which analyzed the atmospheres of Mars and Saturn, The Guardian In September 2015, she rode alongside five educators aboard NASA’s SOFIA, a telescope-bearing Boeing 747 airplane, “Flying on SOFIA has many parallels to the starship Enterprise,” she “Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. Her portrayal of Uhura on Star Trek marked one of the first non-stereotypical roles assigned to an African-American actress. One of science fiction's most famous astronauts joined the mix on February 29. She is also a spokesperson for her favorite charity, "The Kwanzaa Foundation. (CBS via Getty Images) Nichols and NASA. Uhura flies again: "Star Trek" actress Nichelle Nichols had the chance last month to ride aboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, a … Actress Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek TV series, signed autographs for Dryden's Gwen Young, Louise Boyd and scores of other Dryden employees during her visit and tour of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards and the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale Jan. 10. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, She played Lieutenant Uhura the Communications Officer on the U.S.S. NY 10036. "Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!Thank you for signing up to Space. She flew aboard the C-141 Astronomy Observatory, which analyzed the atmospheres of Mars and Saturn on an eight hour, high altitude mission.From the late 1970's until the late 1980's, NASA employed Nichelle Nichols to recruit new astronaut candidates. In 1977, with just four months left, NASA struggles to recruit scientists, engineers and astronauts for their new Space Shuttle Program. She began this work by making an affiliation between NASA and a company which she helped to run, Women in Motion.
You're part of history. © Nichelle Nichols played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the groundbreaking TV series Star Trek.
Hundreds of scientists and engineers (even the occasional astronaut) pass through Goddard's gates every day. "Although it never flew into space, the first shuttle was named after the Starship Enterprise, and Nichelle Nichols helped recruit NASA’s first African American and … It’s everyone’s game,” Nichols said in a 2014 © 2016-2018 AfroTech, Blavity Inc. All rights reserved.Now, at 87-years-old, Nichols’s constant pursuit of The Great Beyond in the arts and space is highly celebrated. I looked across the room, and there was Dr. Martin Luther King walking towards me with this big grin on his face.
I never got to tell him why, because he said, 'You can't. Fast forward—she However, her on-screen influence, which ran from 1966 to 1991, reached far beyond the fictional alternate universe.After “Star Trek” was canceled in the late 1980s, Nichelle Nichols was hired by NASA to recruit women and minorities for the space shuttle program. Al Sharpton, Michael Eric Dyson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Pharrell, and more fully capture Nichols as one of the most fascinating Black figures in history. Many were inspired to become astronauts thanks to her efforts, including NASA’s current administrator, General Charles Bolden. Among those recruited were Dr. She also provided the voice for Lt. Uhura on the Star Trek animated series in 1974-75. Shout! She performed in local productions in Chicago and small film roles.
'When she told Roddenberry what King had said, he cried.Nichols played a recurring role on the second season of the NBC drama As mentioned earlier, she sang with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Lionel Hampton. In her role as Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, she sang two songs in the episode "The program was a success. In an uplifting documentary — titled “” — exclusive interviews with Rev. Through her ground-breaking role as Star Trek’s Chief Communications Officer Lt. Uhura, Nichelle Nichols became a passionate advocate to get women and minorities involved in real-world space exploration. Enterprise in the original series, Star Trek.