Nichelle Nichols, Lieutenant Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 89

Nichelle Nichols, the actress revered by “Star Trek” fans everywhere for her role as Lieutenant Uhura, the communications officer on the starship U.S.S. Enterprise, died on Saturday in Silver City, N.M. She was 89.

Nichols helped break ground by sharing one of the first interracial kisses on American Primetime TV with co-star William Shatner.

As fourth in command of the Star Trek enterprise, she was also the rare example of a black woman in a position of authority on television. Martin Luther King Jr. was a fan of the show and encouraged her to continue to present herself as a role model.

But Uhura’s influence reached far beyond television. In 1977, Nichols began an association with the NASA, contracting as a representative and speaker to help recruit female and minority candidates for spaceflight training; the following year’s class of astronaut candidates was the first to include women and members of minority groups.

On Sunday NASA memorialized Nichols as a global inspiration who helped it evolve.

Following news of her death, co-stars and admirers alike mourned her loss.

Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., praised Nichols for her representation.

"Representation matters. Excellence in representation matters even more. Thank you, #NichelleNichols," she wrote. "Rest well, ancestor."