Martin Luther King, Jr. was among many who admired Nichelle Nicholl’s role as Aura in Star Trek. So much so that he convinced her not to leave the show when she decided to quit.
The famous star unfortunately passed away at the age of 89. Her son, Kyle Johnson, shared his mum through her official Facebook account.
Aside from her acting career, Nichelle has been hailed as an advocate for NASA, and has worked to recruit female candidates.
So let’s take a look at her meeting with the famous activist Martin Luther King Jr. and his influence on her.
Martin Luther King Jr was a fan of Nichols
Nichelle decided to leave Star Trek when the show was in the middle of its first season between 1966 and 67 because she wanted to return to acting in theaters.
By that time, she had amassed a lot of fans for her role as Lieutenant Ora’s communications officer.
She was on a fundraiser for a civil rights group when she learned from an event promoter that her “biggest fan” wanted to meet her.
She turned to see Martin Luther King, Jr. walking toward her. And when he realized he was planning to leave the show, he convinced her to stay.
The actress was touched by his words
In her interview, Nichelle shared the exact words of Doctor MLK that convinced her to continue acting on Star Trek.
She said he told her, “This is a God-given opportunity to change the face of television, to change the way we think. We are no longer second-class or third-class citizens. He had to do it in the 23rd century but the 20th century is watching.”
After the end of Star Trek, she appeared in Truck Turner in 1974 and had a recurring role on the 2007 show Heroes.
More change at Celtic on the eve of the new Premier League season | Preview of LIVE 2022/23 with Mark Hendry
BridTV
10993
More change at Celtic on the eve of the new Premier League season | Preview of LIVE 2022/23 with Mark Hendry
1064826
1064826
Center
UCqUPn73T2WxGyzCdtLe8m7g
67 Hail Hail (YouTube)
https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AAUvwng3RIc-bAXurA5yt1Vj63uuVOBD1RQ9n6j_XKhD=s800-ck-c0x00ffffff-no-rj
13872
Nichelle Nichols’ son pays tribute to her
Nechel’s son Kyle shared a touching message on Facebook to remember his loving and talented mother.
It read: “I am sorry to inform you that a wonderful light in the sky no longer shines on us as it has for many years. Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. However, her light, like the ancient galaxies now seen for the first time, will remain For us and for future generations to enjoy, learn and be inspired.