RIP NICHELLE NICHOLS

 

Nichelle Nichols as Uhura

I’m actually on vacation this week with my daughter and granddaughter here in North Carolina with us (which accounts for the delay in posting), but I couldn’t let the week pass without mentioning the passing of television pioneer and science fiction icon Nichelle Nichols. 

As Nyota Uhura, Communications Officer of the Federation Starship Enterprise, Nichols broke new ground for Black actors in the Sixties, inspiring generations of young Black women to follow in her footsteps in both acting and space exploration. Most of you know those stories about her, so I won’t repeat them. (If you aren’t familiar, I urge you to look her up.) I do, however, have a personal memory of her to share.

Years ago, my young daughter Jessie and I were at the Shore Leave Science Fiction Convention in Towson, Maryland where Nichols was a featured guest. The autograph line was long and cost a bit, so I sent Jessie, who was 13 at the time, to meet Nichols and get her autograph. But I put Jessie up to a joke: “Ask Nichelle to do an imitation of Bill Shatner while you’re up there!”

Nichols had just done her “show” at the con, with lots of imitations, so I thought she might be up for it. And, sure enough, when Jessie got to the star, I heard a big laugh echo through the convention hall. “Oh,” Nichols said, hand on her chest, “I—couldn’t—do—that—to my—friend!” In perfect Shatner style. Hilarious!

The next time I saw Nichols at Shore Leave she was still smiling, but was in a wheelchair, beginning to suffer the effects of dementia and stroke. It’s consoling to think of her exploring new galaxies in infinite space, healthy and happy once more. RIP Nichelle and thank you.

Sadly, Donna