{"id":77419,"date":"2019-01-21T10:42:18","date_gmt":"2019-01-21T15:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/nichelle-nichols-how-martin-luther-king-jr-saved-star-trek\/"},"modified":"2019-01-21T10:42:18","modified_gmt":"2019-01-21T15:42:18","slug":"nichelle-nichols-how-martin-luther-king-jr-saved-star-trek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/nichelle-nichols-how-martin-luther-king-jr-saved-star-trek\/","title":{"rendered":"Nichelle Nichols: How Martin Luther King Jr. Saved \u2018Star Trek\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nichelle Nichols: How Martin Luther King Jr. Saved \u2018Star Trek\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

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Star Trek: Discovery<\/em> is a hit and one of the most representative shows <\/a>on TV. Representation is part of the rich legacy of Trek<\/em> . But it almost all fell apart\u2014until it was saved by MLK Jr. Nichols\u2014who played Lt<\/strong>. Uhura on the original series\u2014reveals a little known piece of\u00a0<\/strong>Star Trek\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>lore.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I hope you will get the story right this time, because for some reason, no one has ever gotten this story right (laughs).\u00a0<\/p>\n

After the first season [of\u00a0Trek<\/em>], because my heart was still on Broadway and the performing arts part of me, the musical performing arts of me was yearning to leave. I never intended to be an actress other than in the theater. So for me, TV and movies, that was something to help me get from here to there. And so it was a shock for me to be cast in\u00a0Star Trek<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A shock and a joy.<\/p>\n

I was performing in England at the time of the inception of the show and my agent tracked me down in Paris and told me that they were doing a show called\u00a0Star Trek<\/em>, assuming that I\u2019d know what that was.<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019d known Gene Rodenberry since he\u2019d given me my first TV starring role in a show that he\u2019d done called the\u00a0The Lieutenant<\/em>. And he was one of the first people of that stature that gave me encouragement.<\/p>\n

He called my agent and said can you find Nichelle, because I need her for a role in this show and wherever she is, get her back here because I want a woman<\/a> to be the head of a department on the bridge.<\/p>\n

He changed the role from a man<\/a> heading communications on the bridge and he wanted a woman<\/a> of color. He wanted me and I came back and got the role. So the first year went by, and I enjoyed doing the role, to me at that time it was very challenging [laughs] but I played my role to the hilt, being the head of communications and all that and by this time the show had aired and I was starting to get notice, and on the side I\u2019m singing at places and people are hearing me and calling and I\u2019m thinking, \u201cOh this is my big break! I have to leave this little show and go do it! I was thinking Broadway here I come!\u2019<\/p>\n

And so I went on a Friday evening shortly before the end of the season to let Gene know that I wouldn\u2019t be returning to the show, he looked at me like I was crazy, \u201cYou cannot leave<\/em>,\u201d but he realized how serious I was and he knew I was passionate about singing, and he said, \u201cI know what your dream is and so forth but don\u2019t you see what I\u2019m trying to do?<\/p>\n

He said to take the weekend and think about my decision and how important this show is and how it was a first, and if I leave, well he didn\u2019t know what to say, but he said take the weekend and that way I could take the time to really think about what we just said and come back Monday and we would talk about it and if you really want to leave then, you\u2019ll go with my blessings, but realize I want you to know that what we are doing here is really historic.<\/p>\n

The next night was Saturday and I was due to be a celebrity guest on a dais at an NAACP fundraiser at UCLA.<\/p>\n

One of the organizers came up to me and said that there was someone who wants to meet you; and he says that he\u2019s you\u2019re best, biggest fan and I\u2019m thinking it\u2019s a Trekkie! [laughs]<\/p>\n

So I said certainly and I got up and turned around and maybe 10 or 15 feet coming towards me I see Dr. Martin Luther King and I remember thinking whoever that little fan is, he\u2019s going to have to wait, because here\u2019s Dr. King, who walks straight up to me with this big, magnificent smile on his face and says, \u201cI\u2019m the fan!\u201d because I\u2019m sort of looking around for someone else, and he says, \u201cI am your best fan, I am your biggest fan!\u201d and I\u2026 I was at a loss for words, and if you know me, I am never at a loss for words.<\/p>\n

I just couldn\u2019t say a thing and he began to tell me how important my role was, what an inspiration it was.<\/p>\n

And you have to understand we were in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, people were regularly being attacked by dogs, and marchers were being hosed on the television every night, real life things, and here I am in this futuristic thing on TV and he was so complimentary, he told me \u201cI was so important and the way you have created this role,\u201d and I am just looking at him and looking at him and I remember I just kept hoping he\u2019d never stop talking.<\/p>\n

Because his voice is just\u2026 you know the voice. And I finally just start saying, thank you so much Dr. King and I am shaking his hand and still shaking from nervousness and I said thank you so much and I am really going to miss my co-stars.<\/p>\n

And at this his face totally changed, and he said \u201cWhat are you talking about?!\u201d and so I told him I would be leaving the show, because; and that was as far as he let me go, and he said, \u201cStop! You cannot! You cannot leave this show! Do you not understand what you are doing?! You are the first non-stereotypical role in television! Of intelligence, and of a woman<\/a> and a woman<\/a> of color?! That you are playing a role that is not about your color! That this role could be played by anyone? This is not a black role. This is not a female<\/a> role! A blue eyed blond or a pointed ear green person could take this role!\u201d<\/p>\n

And I am looking at him and looking at him and buzzing, and he said, \u201cNichelle, for the first time, not only our little children and people can look on and see themselves, but people who don\u2019t look like us, people who don\u2019t look like us, from all over the world, for the first time, the first time on television, they can see us, as we should be! As intelligent, brilliant, people! People in roles other than slick tap dancers, and maids, which are all wonderful in their own ways, but for the first time we have a woman<\/a>, a\u00a0woman<\/a><\/em>, who represents us and not in menial jobs, and you\u00a0prove\u00a0<\/em>it, this man<\/a> [Gene Rodenberry] proves and establishes a precedent that validates what we are marching for because three hundred years from today there we are, and there you are, in all our glory and all your glory! And you\u00a0cannot<\/em>\u00a0leave!\u201d<\/p>\n

And I did not leave.<\/p>\n

So, I went back on Monday and told Gene that if he hadn\u2019t replaced me and still wanted me to stay that I would, and I\u2019ll never forget him sitting behind that big desk that he had and he said, \u201cso that\u2019s your decision?\u201d<\/p>\n

I said I\u2019d like my letter of resignation back please and I told him what had happened while meeting Dr. King, and I don\u2019t know if you know what Gene looked like, but he was a big guy<\/a> and was like 6\u20193\u201d with that hawk nose and a great sense of humor and this brilliant mind and a futurist and\u2013whatever great things you heard about him are just a small part of what that man<\/a> was.<\/p>\n

I looked down at him sitting behind his desk when I told him the story and I finally shut up, and a huge tear is rolling down his cheek. And he said, \u201cThank God someone understands what I am trying to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he reached down into his drawer and pulled out my letter of resignation and handed it to me, it had already been [laughs] torn up.<\/p>\n

#RepresentationMatters<\/p>\n

As told to Savas Abadsidis.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This was originally published on\u00a0Planet Waves dot net<\/a>. Used with permission of the author.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Nichelle Nichols: How Martin Luther King Jr. Saved \u2018Star Trek\u2019<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad Gay News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Nichelle Nichols: How Martin Luther King Jr. Saved ‘Star Trek’<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n