Strange New Worlds Adapts TOS' Real Life Uhura/MLK Story Into Canon
Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode 2 — «Children of the Comet»
A famous story about Nichelle Nichols and Dr. Martin Luther King has been adapted into canon by Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Set in the years before James T. Kirk (William Shatner) becomes Captain of the USS Enterprise,Strange New Worlds charts the five-year mission of exploration led by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Among the cast joining Strange New Worlds' Starship Enterprise is Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), who is a Starfleet Cadet on her first deep space voyage, and who will one day become the Enterprise's Communications Officer played by Nichelle Nichols.
Uhura was a groundbreaking character inStar Trek: The Original Series simply because she was an African-American woman who was prominently featured in the show's multi-racial cast. However, in 1967, Nichelle Nichols intended to quitStar Trek because she was frustrated by how Uhura's role kept getting reduced. It was a meeting with Martin Luther King that changed Nichols' mind. Dr. King reminded the actress of how important it was to Black people that an African-American woman was «seen» in a show like Star Trek. Dr. King reminded Nichols that regardless of what her character does or doesn't do on Star Trek, her very presence is an inspiration that signals a more inclusive future for African-Americans. Nichols took Dr. King's words to heart and remained part of Star Trek, turning Uhura into an icon who did, indeed, inspire millions of fans while Nichols herself became an integral part of NASA.
Related: Strange New Worlds Introduces Kirk Without Breaking Star Trek Canon
In Strange New Worlds episode 2, «Children of the Comet,» Nichelle Nichols' dissatisfaction
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