I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years.
Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration.
Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.
I, and the rest of our family, would appreciate your patience and forbearance as we grieve her loss until we can recover sufficiently to speak further. Her services will be for family members and the closest of her friends and we request that her and our privacy be respected.
Nichelle Nichols, the actor who became a Star Trek legend and broke ground for Black women on screen with her portrayal of Lt. Nyota Uhura, has died. She was 89.
CBS via Getty Images
Nichols as Lt. Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series in 1967
She had been treated for dementia in her 80s, and in an Instagram post on Sunday, her son Kyle Johnson wrote that she died of natural causes.
“Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” Johnson wrote. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”
A beloved icon of the science-fiction franchise, Nichols’ casting as a prominent character in a position of authority was unprecedented and radical for a TV show that first aired in 1966. Her character’s kiss with William Shatner’s Captain James Kirk also broke ground for being one of the first interracial kisses ever aired on television. After the original series ended, Nichols worked with NASA to recruit women and people of color as astronauts and continued to act, appearing onstage and in films like Snow Dogs and the TV series The Young and the Restless. Still, throughout her life, she remained devoted to Star Trek and was a fixture at fan conventions well into her 80s.
rest in power, nichelle nichols. our lieutenant uhura. a trailblazer, a legend, a force for good. you will be missed, dear lady. i hope the stars have welcomed you home 🖖❤️✨
