Nichelle Nichols

American actress, singer, and dancer best known for her portrayal of Uhura in the original 1960s science fiction TV series Star Trek and its film sequels. Nichols' portrayal of Uhura was groundbreaking for African American actresses on American television.

In her role as Lieutenant Uhura, Nichols kissed white actor William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in the 22 November 1968, Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren". The episode has been cited as the first example of an interracial kiss on U.S. television, although other instances have been identified. The Shatner/Nichols kiss was seen as groundbreaking, even though it was portrayed as having been forced by alien telekinesis.

From 1977 until 2015, Nichols volunteered her time to promote NASA's programs and recruit diverse astronauts, including some of the first female and ethnic minority astronauts.

In 1994, Nichols published her autobiography Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories. She revealed that she disliked her birth name, asking her parents for a new one; they offered "Nichelle", which they said meant "victorious maiden" (from Nike and the suffix -elle).

Nichelle Nichols married and divorced twice. With her first husband she had one child, Kyle Johnson, who became an actor. She died of heart failure on 30 July 2022 in Silver City, New Mexico, aged 89.