Celebrating Black History Month: Nichelle Nichols, first black woman to go where no man has gone before!

Beautiful Nichelle Nichols, African-American actress, has blazed more trails than anyone.  She portrayed Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, the original series, a major character which was unheard of for a black actress.  Uhura is also the first non-stereotypical character for an African-American woman.  Whoopi Goldberg said she ran through the house shouting, "Mama!  There's a black woman on TV and she ain't no maid!"

Nichelle also shared the first interracial on-screen kiss with William Shatner, which garnered a lot of attention, most of it good.  Nichols was tired of racist harrassment and was ready to resign from Star Trek when she met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who convinced her to remain in her role.

She was employed by NASA in the late 70's and  80's, recruiting astronauts of color, such as Guy Bluford, first African-American astronaut.  She inspired Mae Jemison to become an astronaut, the first black woman in space (after Lt. Uhura).