Nichelle Nichols | |
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![]() Nichols in 2013 | |
Born | Grace Dell Nichols December 28, 1932 Robbins, Illinois, U.S. |
Education | Englewood High School |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1959–2019 |
Notable credit(s) | Nyota Uhura in Star Trek |
Spouse(s) |
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Children | Kyle Johnson |
Nichelle Nichols (/nɪˈʃɛl/ born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932)[1] is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for her portrayal of Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series, and its film sequels. Nichols' portrayal of Uhura was ground-breaking for African American female characters on American television.[2] From 1977 until 2015, Nichols volunteered her time to promote NASA's programs, and to recruit diverse astronauts, including women and ethnic minorities.[3][4]
Early life
Grace Dell Nichols was born the third of six children on December 28, 1932,[5][6] in Robbins, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, to Samuel Earl Nichols, a factory worker who was elected both town mayor of Robbins in 1929[7] and its chief magistrate, and his wife, Salish (Parks) Nichols, a homemaker.[citation needed] Later, the family moved into an apartment in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. For high school, Nichols attended Englewood High School; graduating in 1951.[8][9] Nichols also studied in New York City and Los Angeles.
Career
Her break came in an appearance in Kicks and Co., Oscar Brown's highly touted but ill-fated 1961 musical.[10] In a thinly veiled satire of Playboy magazine, she played Hazel Sharpe, a voluptuous campus queen who was being tempted by the devil and Orgy Magazine to become "Orgy Maiden of the Month". Although the play closed after a short run in Chicago, Nichols attracted the attention of Hugh Hefner, the publisher of Playboy, who booked her for his Chicago Playboy Club.[11][12] She also appeared in the role of Carmen for a Chicago stock company production of Carmen Jones and performed in a New York production of Porgy and Bess. Between acting and singing engagements, Nichols did occasional modeling work.
In January 1967, Nichols also was featured on the cover of Ebony magazine, and had two feature articles in the publication in five years.[13] Nichols toured the United States, Canada and Europe as a singer with the Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton bands.[14] On the West Coast, she appeared in The Roar of the Greasepaint and For My People and she garnered high praise for her performance in the James Baldwin play Blues for Mister Charlie. Prior to being cast as Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek, Nichols was a guest actress on television producer Gene Roddenberry's first series The Lieutenant (1964) in an episode, "To Set It Right", which dealt with racial prejudice.[15]
Star Trek
On Star Trek, Nichols was one of the first black women featured in a major television series. Her prominent supporting role as a bridge officer was unprecedented.[2] During the first year of the series, Nichols was tempted to leave the series, because she wanted to pursue a Broadway career; however, a conversation with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed her mind. She has said that King personally encouraged her to stay on the series, telling her that he was a big fan of Star Trek. He said she "could not give up" because she was playing a vital role model for black children and young women across the country, as well as for other children who would see black people appearing as equals, going so far as to favorably compare her work on the series to the marches of the ongoing Civil Rights movement.[2][16][17][18] Towards the end of the first season of Star Trek, Nichols was given the opportunity to take a role on Broadway. She preferred the stage to the television studio, so she decided to take the role. Nichols went to Gene Roddenberry's office, told him that she planned to leave, and handed him her resignation letter. Roddenberry tried to convince Nichols to stay but to no avail, so he told her to take the weekend off and if she still felt that she should leave then he would give her his blessing. That weekend, Nichols attended a banquet that was being run by the NAACP, where she was informed that a fan really wanted to meet her.[19]
I thought it was a Trekkie, and so I said, 'Sure.' I looked across the room and whoever the fan was had to wait because there was Dr. Martin Luther King walking towards me with this big grin on his face. He reached out to me and said, 'Yes, Ms. Nichols, I am your greatest fan.' He said that Star Trek was the only show that he, and his wife Coretta, would allow their three little children to stay up and watch. [She told King about her plans to leave the series because she wanted to take a role that was tied to Broadway.] I never got to tell him why, because he said, 'you cannot, you cannot...for the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent, quality, beautiful, people who can sing dance, and can go to space, who are professors, lawyers." Dr. King Jr went further stating "If you leave, that door can be closed because your role is not a black role, and is not a female role, he can fill it with anybody even an alien"
This response by Dr. King Jr. left Nichols speechless, allowing her to realize how important to the civil rights movement her role was, and the next day she went back to Roddenberry's office to tell him that she would stay.
When she told Roddenberry what King had said, tears came to his eyes. Nichols asked Roddenberry for her role back and Roddenberry took out her resignation letter, which he had already torn up.[20] Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison has cited Nichols' role of Lieutenant Uhura as her inspiration for wanting to become an astronaut and Whoopi Goldberg has also spoken of Nichols' influence.[21] Goldberg asked for a role on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the character Guinan was specially created, while Jemison appeared on an episode of the series.[22]
In her role as Lieutenant Uhura, Nichols kissed white actor William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in the November 22, 1968, Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren". The episode is cited as the first example of an interracial kiss on scripted U.S. television, although several earlier examples exist.[23][24][25] The Shatner/Nichols kiss was seen as groundbreaking, even though it was portrayed as having been forced by alien telekinesis. There was some praise and some protest. On page 197 of her 1994 autobiography Beyond Uhura, Star Trek and Other Memories, Nichols cites a letter from a white Southerner who wrote, "I am totally opposed to the mixing of the races. However, any time a red-blooded American boy like Captain Kirk gets a beautiful dame in his arms that looks like Uhura, he ain't gonna fight it." During the Comedy Central Roast of Shatner on August 20, 2006, Nichols jokingly referred to the kiss and said, "what do you say, let's make a little more TV history ... and kiss my black ass!"[26]
Despite the cancellation of the series in 1969, Star Trek lived on in other ways, and continued to play a part in Nichols' life. She again provided the voice of Uhura in Star Trek: The Animated Series; in one episode, "The Lorelei Signal", Uhura assumes command of the Enterprise.[27] Nichols noted in her autobiography her frustration that this never happened on the original series. Nichols has co-starred in six Star Trek films, the last one being Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Following the death of Leonard Nimoy in 2015, Nichols is one of four surviving cast members, the others being William Shatner, George Takei, and Walter Koenig.
Other acting roles
In 1994, Nichols published her autobiography Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories. In it, she claimed that the role of Peggy Fair in the television series Mannix was offered to her during the final season of Star Trek, but producer Gene Roddenberry refused to release her from her contract. Between the end of the original series and the Star Trek animated series and feature films, Nichols appeared in small television and film roles. She briefly appeared as a secretary in Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! (1967), and portrayed Dorienda, a foul-mouthed madam in Truck Turner (1974) opposite Isaac Hayes, her only appearance in a blaxploitation film.
Nichols appeared in animated form as one of Al Gore's Vice Presidential Action Rangers in the "Anthology of Interest I" episode of Futurama, and she provided the voice of her own head in a glass jar in the episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before". She voiced the recurring role of Elisa Maza's mother Diane Maza in the animated series Gargoyles, and played Thoth-Kopeira in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. In 2004, she provided the voice for herself in The Simpsons episode "Simple Simpson". In the comedy film Snow Dogs (2002), Nichols appeared as the mother of the male lead, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. In 2006, she appeared as the title character in the film Lady Magdalene's, the madam of a legal Nevada brothel in tax default. She also served as executive producer and choreographer, and sang three songs in the film, two of which she composed. In addition to her acting skills, Nichols is an accomplished dancer and singer. She has twice been nominated for the Chicago theatrical Sarah Siddons Award for Best Actress. The first nomination was for her portrayal of Hazel Sharpe in Kicks and Co.; the second for her performance in The Blacks.
Nichols played a recurring role on the second season of the NBC drama Heroes. Her first appearance was on the episode "Kindred", which aired October 8, 2007. She portrayed Nana Dawson, the matriarch of a New Orleans family financially and personally devastated by Hurricane Katrina, who cares for her orphaned grandchildren and her great-nephew, series regular Micah Sanders. In 2008, Nichols starred in the film The Torturer, playing the role of a psychiatrist. In 2009, she joined the cast of The Cabonauts, a sci-fi musical comedy that debuted on the Internet. Playing CJ, the CEO of the Cabonauts Inc, Nichols is also featured singing and dancing. On August 30, 2016, she was introduced as the aging mother of Neil Winters on the long-standing soap opera The Young and the Restless. She received her first Daytime Emmy nomination in the "Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series" category for this role March 22, 2017.[28]
Music
Nichols has released two music albums. Down to Earth is a collection of standards released in 1967, during the original run of Star Trek.[29] Out of This World, released in 1991, is more rock oriented and is themed around Star Trek and space exploration.
As mentioned earlier, she sang with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Lionel Hampton. As Uhura, she sang songs in Star Trek episodes "Charlie X" and "The Conscience of the King".
Work with NASA
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20220705214832im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Space_shuttle_enterprise_star_trek-cropcast.jpg/370px-Space_shuttle_enterprise_star_trek-cropcast.jpg)
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.[3] She began this work by making an affiliation between NASA and a company which she helped to run, Women in Motion.[30][31][32][33][34][35][36]
The program was a success. Among those recruited were Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, and United States Air Force Colonel Guion Bluford, the first African-American astronaut, as well as Dr. Judith Resnik and Dr. Ronald McNair, who both flew successful missions during the Space Shuttle program before their deaths in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986. Recruits also included Charles Bolden, the former NASA administrator and veteran of four shuttle missions, Frederick D. Gregory, former deputy administrator and a veteran of three shuttle missions and Lori Garver, former deputy administrator. An enthusiastic advocate of space exploration, Nichols has served from the mid-1980s on the board of governors of the National Space Institute (today's National Space Society), a nonprofit, educational space advocacy organization.[33]
In late 2015, Nichols flew aboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Boeing 747SP, which analyzed the atmospheres of Mars and Saturn on an eight-hour, high-altitude mission. She was also a special guest at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, on July 17, 1976, to view the Viking 1 soft landing on Mars. Along with the other cast members from the original Star Trek series, she attended the christening of the first space shuttle, Enterprise, at the North American Rockwell assembly facility in Palmdale, California. On July 14, 2010, she toured the space shuttle simulator and Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center.[37]
Nichols' work with NASA is given significant focus in the documentary Woman in Motion about her life.[38]
Personal life
Nichols' younger brother, Thomas, was a member of the Heaven's Gate cult. He died on March 26, 1997, in the cult's mass suicide that purposely coincided with the passing of the Hale-Bopp comet.[39] A member for 20 years, he frequently identified himself as Nichelle's brother in promotional materials released by the cult.[40][41]
In her autobiography, Nichols wrote that she was romantically involved with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry for a few years in the 1960s. She said the affair ended well before Star Trek began, when she realized Roddenberry was also involved with her acquaintance Majel Hudec (known as Majel Barrett). Hudec went on to marry Gene Roddenberry and have a regular supporting role as nurse Christine Chapel on Star Trek.[42]
When Roddenberry's health was fading, Nichols co-wrote a song for him, entitled "Gene", which she sang at his funeral.
Nichols has married twice, first to dancer Foster Johnson (1917–1981). They were married in 1951 and divorced that same year. Johnson and Nichols had one child together, Kyle Johnson, who was born August 14, 1951. She married Duke Mondy in 1968. They were divorced in 1972.
On February 29, 2012, Nichols met with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. She later tweeted about the meeting, "Months ago, [President] Obama was quoted as saying that he'd had a crush on me when he was younger," Nichols also wrote. "I asked about that and he proudly confirmed it! President Obama also confirmed for me that he was definitely a Trekker! How wonderful is that?!"[43]
On June 4, 2015, Nichols' booking agency announced that she had suffered a mild stroke at her Los Angeles home and had been admitted to a Los Angeles-area hospital.[44][45] A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed a small stroke had occurred, and she began inpatient therapy on June 5, 2015.
Nichols was diagnosed with dementia sometime in 2018.[46] She subsequently announced her retirement from convention appearances.[47]
Conservatorship and court proceedings
Following a legal dispute over the actions of her manager-turned-caretaker Gilbert Bell, her son Kyle Johnson filed for conservatorship in 2018. Before a court granted his petition in January 2019, Nichols' friend Angelique Fawcette, who had already expressed concern in 2017 over Bell's control of access to her, pressed for visitation rights, including by opposing Johnson's petition. That dispute and a 2019 court case by Bell over being evicted from the guesthouse on Nichols' property were both ongoing as of August 2021.[48]
Recognition
In 1982, Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his novel Friday to her.[49] Asteroid 68410 Nichols is named in her honor.[50]
In 1992, she was awarded a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, for her contribution to television. In 1999, Nichols was awarded a Goldene Kamera for Kultstar des Jahrhunderts (English: Cult Star of the Century).[51] 2010, Nichols received an honorary degree from Los Angeles Mission College. Nichols received The Life Career Award, from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, in 2016, the first woman to receive it. The award was presented as part of the 42nd Saturn Awards ceremony. Nichols was awarded the Inkpot Award in 2018.[52]
Nichols is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Filmography
Films
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1959 | Porgy and Bess | Dancer | Uncredited |
1966 | Tarzan's Deadly Silence | Ruana[53] | |
Made in Paris | Salon customer | Uncredited extra | |
Mister Buddwing | Dice Player[53] | ||
1967 | Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! | Jenny Ribbock[54] | |
1974 | Truck Turner | Dorinda[55] | |
1979 | Star Trek: The Motion Picture | Nyota Uhura | |
1982 | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | ||
1984 | Antony and Cleopatra | Charmian[53] | TV film |
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock | Nyota Uhura | ||
1986 | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | ||
The Supernaturals | Sgt. Leona Hawkins[56] | ||
1989 | Star Trek V: The Final Frontier | Nyota Uhura | |
1991 | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country | ||
1995 | The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space | Sagan[53] | |
2002 | Snow Dogs | Amelia Brooks[53] | |
2004 | Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes | Omen[57] | |
2005 | Are We There Yet? | Miss Mable[58] | |
2008 | Lady Magdalene's | Lady Magdalene / Maggie | |
Tru Loved | Grandmother | ||
The Torturer | Doc | ||
2010 | Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster | Senator | TV Film |
2012 | This Bitter Earth | Clara Watkins | |
2016 | Renegades | Grace Jemison | |
2017 | Sharknado 5: Global Swarming | Sec. General Starr | TV Film |
2018 | American Nightmares | Mystic Woman | |
2018 | The White Orchid | Teresa Suskind | |
2019 | Surge of Dawn | Omen | |
2019 | Woman in Motion | Herself | |
2020 | Unbelievable!!!!! | Sensei / Aunt Petunia | |
2021 | The Order | Athena | In production |
Television and video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1964 | The Lieutenant | Norma Bartlett | episode: "To Set It Right" |
1966 | Tarzan | Ruana | 2 episodes |
1966–1969 | Star Trek | Nyota Uhura | 70 episodes |
1970 | Insight | Ellie | episode: "Old King Cole" |
1973 | Star Trek: The Animated Series | Nyota Uhura / Additional voices | 22 episodes |
1992 | Star Trek: 25th Anniversary | Nyota Uhura (voice) | Video game; additional voices |
1994 | Gargoyles | Diane Maza (voice) | 4 episodes |
Batman: The Animated Series | Thoth Khepera (voice) | episode: "Avatar" | |
Star Trek: Judgment Rites | Nyota Uhura (voice) | Video game | |
1996 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Nyota Uhura | episode: "Trials and Tribble-ations"; archive footage |
1996–1998 | Star Trek Adventure | Amusement park feature; Appeared in several revisions | |
2000–2002 | Futurama | Herself | 2 episodes |
2004 | The Simpsons | episode: "Simple Simpson" | |
2007 | Heroes | Nana Dawson | episode: "Kindred" |
Star Trek: Of Gods and Men | Nyota Uhura | Fan production | |
2009 | The Cabonauts | CJ | episode: "Pilot" |
2016 | The Young and the Restless | Lucinda Winters[59] | 4 episodes |
2017 | Downward Dog | Deejay DeVine | episode: "Old" |
2022 | Star Trek: Prodigy | Nyota Uhura | episode: "Kobayashi"; archive audio |
Bibliography
Title | Publisher | Date | ISBN | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Beyond Uhura | G. P. Putnam's Sons | October 19, 1994 | 0-399-13993-1 | |
Saturn's Child | Penguin | October 17, 1995 | 0-399-14113-8 | with Margaret Wander Bonanno |
See also
References
- ^ McCann, Bob (December 21, 2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-7864-5804-2.
- ^ a b c Nishi, Dennis (January 17, 2011). "SpeakEasy: 'Star Trek's' Nichelle Nichols on How Martin Luther King Jr. Changed Her Life". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ a b Hahn, Michael (August 20, 2009). "GPN-2004-00017 - Nichelle Nichols, NASA Recruiter". NASA. Archived from the original on December 22, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Currie, Netisha (March 1, 2016). "To Boldly Go Where No (Wo)Man Has Gone Before…". Rediscovering Black History, National Archives. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
Many astronauts have credited Nichols and the character of Lt. Uhura as an inspiration to them for seeking out opportunities with NASA, including: Ronald McNair, Sally Ride, Judith Resnik, current NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, and the first African American woman in space – Mae Jemison.
- ^ Adell, Sandra (1996). African American Culture. Gale. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-8103-8485-9.
- ^ David, Shayler; Moule, Ian A. (August 29, 2006). Women in Space - Following Valentina. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 152. ISBN 978-1-84628-078-8.
- ^ "Robbins History". Robbins History Museum. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
Actress Nichelle Nichols' grandfather, Samuel G. Nichols (a white man), was one of the village's original settlers who was married a black woman. Nichelle Nichols who portrayed Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek television series also was hired by NASA to begin finding and recruiting qualified blacks for todays NASA Space program. Nichelle was born in a two-story frame house built by her grandparents in Robbins. Her father, Samuel E. Nichols, became the mayor of Robbins, IL in 1929.
- ^ '1950 Englewood High School (Chicago, Illinois) Yearbook
- ^ Beyond Uhura Star Trek and Other Memories, By Nichelle Nichols · 1994
- ^ "Kicks and Co. Original Broadway Cast - 1961 Broadway". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
- ^ Johnson, John H., ed. (January 1962). "Satirical flop brings star success". Ebony. Vol. 17, no. 3. pp. 41–47.
- ^ Still, Larry (October 12, 1961). Johnson, John H. (ed.). "Oscar Brown musical gets warm reception in windy city". Jet. Vol. 20, no. 25. pp. 58–61.
- ^ Johnson, John H., ed. (January 1967). "A new star in the TV heavens". Ebony. Vol. 22, no. 3. pp. 70–76.
- ^ "Nichelle Nichols". PBS. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "LIEUTENANT, THE: TO SET IT RIGHT {UNAIRED EPISODE} (TV)". Paley Center for Media. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
- ^ Huff, Richard (January 17, 2011). "'Star Trek' actress Nichelle Nichols: Martin Luther King Jr. impacted decision to stay on Enterprise". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Neil deGrasse Tyson (July 11, 2011). "A Conversation with Nichelle Nichols". StarTalk (Podcast). Event occurs at 11:12.
- ^ Nichols, Nichelle (October 19, 1994). Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. pp. 164–65. ISBN 978-0-399-13993-2.
- ^ "Nichelle Nichols on how Dr. MLK, Jr. dissuaded her from quitting Star Trek - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG". Archived from the original on November 10, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ Strachan, Alex (August 5, 2010). "Nichelle Nichols on playing Star Trek's Lt. Uhura and meeting Dr. King". Canada.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
Now, Gene Roddenberry was a 6-foot-3 guy with muscles. ... And he sat there with tears in his eyes. He said, 'Thank God that someone knows what I'm trying to do. Thank God for Dr. Martin Luther King.'
- ^ "Whoopi Goldberg". A Woman's CyberSpace. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Nichols, Nichelle (April 7, 2002). "Nichelle Nichols – Communications expert Uhuru from Star Trek's Original series". BBC. Archived from the original on June 28, 2006. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
- ^ Molloy, Tim (April 27, 2009). "Shattered TV Taboos: How Bea Arthur and Others Broke Barriers". TV Guide. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ Malik, Tariq (September 7, 2006). "After 40 Years, Star Trek 'Won't Die'". Space.com. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ "Nichols Talks First Inter-Racial Kiss". TrekToday. September 5, 2001. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ "William Shatner". Comedy Central Roast. August 20, 2006. Comedy Central.
- ^ Mangels, Andy (Summer 2018). "Star Trek: The Animated Series". RetroFan. No. 1. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 25–37.
- ^ "The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces Nominations For The 44th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- ^ Planer, Lindsay. "Down to Earth". AllMusic. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Prafder, Erika (February 2, 2011). "To boldly go: Groundbreaking actress Nichelle Nichols continues to expand her horizons". New York Post. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "Where No Woman Has Gone Before: An Actress Spotlight on Nichelle Nichols". Bitch. July 29, 2009. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ Levi, Linda (February 21, 2011). "Black History Month Profile: Nichelle Nichols". New York Women In Communications. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ a b "Nichelle Nichols, National Space Society Board of Governors". National Space Society. Archived from the original on December 12, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ "Nichelle Nichols". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "Nichelle Nichols, NASA Recruiter". NASA. Archived from the original on December 22, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Arcynta Ali Childs (June 11, 2011). "Q & A: Nichelle Nichols, AKA Lt. Uhura, and NASA". Smithsonian.com. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
Ten years after "Star Trek" was cancelled, almost to the day, I was invited to join the board of directors of the newly formed National Space Society. They flew me to Washington and I gave a speech called "New Opportunities for the Humanization of Space" or "Space, What's in it for me?" In [the speech], I'm going where no man or woman dares go. I took NASA on for not including women and I gave some history of the powerful women who had applied and, after five times applying, felt disenfranchised and backed off. [At that time] NASA was having their fifth or sixth recruitment and women and ethnic people [were] staying away in droves. I was asked to come to headquarters the next day and they wanted me to assist them in persuading women and people of ethnic backgrounds that NASA was serious [about recruiting them]. And I said you've got to be joking; I didn't take them seriously. . . . John Yardley, who I knew from working on a previous project, was in the room and said 'Nichelle, we are serious.' I said OK. I will do this and I will bring you the most qualified people on the planet, as qualified as anyone you've ever had and I will bring them in droves. And if you do not pick a person of color, if you do not pick a woman, if it's the same old, same old, all-white male astronaut corps, that you've done for the last five years, and I'm just another dupe, I will be your worst nightmare.
- ^ "Nichelle Nicholls, Star Trek's Uhura, in the Shuttle Simulator at NASA at Houston". TwitPic. July 14, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "Woman in Motion Honors Nichelle Nichols' Contributions to Space Exploration". StarTrek.com. April 5, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ^ "Nichelle Nichols' Connection to the Heaven's Gate Cult Tragedy". Reocities. Archived from the original on June 24, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ Bearman, Joshuah (March 21, 2007). "Heaven's Gate: The Sequel". LA Weekly. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "Some members of suicide cult castrated". CNN. March 28, 1997. Archived from the original on February 22, 1999. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
- ^ Nichols, Nichelle (October 1994). Beyond Uhura. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9780399139932.
- ^ Jackson, David (April 5, 2012). "Obama gives Vulcan salute with Lt. Uhura". USA Today. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
- ^ "Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek's Lt Uhura, suffers stroke". BBC News. June 5, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Whitney, Erin (June 5, 2015). "'Star Trek' Star Nichelle Nichols Hospitalized". MSN.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Cohen, Jess (April 10, 2018). "Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols Diagnosed With Dementia". E! Online. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
- ^ Pascale, Anthony (May 19, 2018). "Nichelle Nichols Announces Farewell Tour, Convention And Documentary". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
- ^ Easter, Makeda (August 15, 2021). "Inside the heartbreaking conservatorship battle of a 'Star Trek' legend". Los Angeles Times. California Times. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ Heinlein, Robert A. (June 1983). Friday. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9780030615160.
- ^ Chamberlin, Alan (September 26, 2005). "68410 Nichols (2001 QB154)". JPL Small-Body Database Browser. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ "Goldene Kamera 1999 - 34. Verleihung". Goldene Kamera 1999. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ "Inkpot Award". Comic-Con International: San Diego. December 6, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Nichelle Nichols". British Film Institute. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- ^ Willis, John, ed. (1968). Screen World 1968. Screen World. Vol. 19 (reprint ed.). Cheshire, Connecticut: Biblo & Tannen (published 1983). p. 26. ISBN 9780819603098.
- ^ Ottoson, Robert (1984). American International Pictures: A Filmography. Reference Library of the Humanities. Vol. 492. New York: Garland. p. 265. ISBN 9780824089764.
- ^ Muir, John Kenneth (March 27, 2007). Horror Films of the 1980s. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 542. ISBN 9780786428212. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- ^ Scheck, Frank (January 4, 2018). "'Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel' Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ "Ice Cube and Nia Long Star in Romantic Comedy Movie 'Are We There Yet?'". Jet. Vol. 107, no. 4. Johnson Publishing Company. January 24, 2005. p. 59. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- ^ Swift, Andy (July 26, 2016). "Nichelle Nichols On 'The Young And The Restless' — 11,000th Episode". TVLine. Retrieved November 22, 2016.