Star Trek's Nichelle 'Uhura' Nichols Legacy Honored by NASA

Space.com

NASA recalls the impact that NIchelle Nichols had on the space agency and exploration after she retired from public life. Nicholls passed away on July 30, 2022.  Credit: NASA

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:09 I first learned about "Star Trek" through my mom.

00:12 She and her three sisters used to rush home

00:15 to watch the original "Star Trek"

00:16 because of Nichelle Nichols.

00:18 They really enjoyed seeing someone

00:19 who looked like themselves portraying

00:21 a character on TV like that.

00:24 I loved everything about science fiction shows,

00:27 the whole idea of exploring space.

00:29 So that's why I decided to become an engineer.

00:31 And it was my aspiration to ultimately work for NASA.

00:34 Hi, I'm Nichelle Nichols.

00:37 But I still feel a little bit like [INAUDIBLE]

00:40 In 1977, NASA hired Nichelle Nichols

00:44 to help recruit space shuttle astronauts.

00:47 She actually gave a speech that year for the National Space

00:50 Institute on the humanizing of space.

00:53 She asked, where are my people, who she was referring

00:56 to, women and minorities.

00:59 NASA, of course, heard about the speech

01:01 and invited her to NASA headquarters.

01:03 Jim Fletcher was then the NASA administrator.

01:05 And he asked Nichelle Nichols if she

01:08 would be interested in serving as a spokesperson

01:10 or an ambassador for NASA and help

01:12 them recruit the first class of space shuttle astronauts.

01:17 This is your NASA, a space agency

01:20 and boss on a mission to improve the quality of life

01:23 on planet Earth right now.

01:26 Not only did she portray a technical character

01:30 in a time period where you didn't

01:31 see a lot of women or people of color

01:34 in technical roles on television.

01:36 She symbolized to so many what was possible.

01:41 What I love about Nichelle Nichols

01:43 is how she embraced that role and how she portrayed us

01:48 and gave us that roadmap for the future generation of women

01:54 to follow.

01:55 We definitely need more characters like Uhura today.

01:58 There's still just something special

02:00 about seeing people who look like yourself portraying

02:04 the kinds of things that you might one day

02:05 be able to do in the world.

02:07 Especially for kids, you just embed in their minds,

02:11 even in an unconscious way, this idea

02:13 that they really do have a whole world of options out there.

02:18 Because if they're told something,

02:19 but they don't see it, it doesn't really

02:21 sink in as being real.

02:23 Nichelle, I want to personally thank you

02:27 for inspiring me to be part of the space exploration career.

02:33 This is Mike Hopkins with Crew One.

02:36 And we just wanted to say how much you inspired us

02:39 as we were growing up.

02:40 You taught us how to dream.

02:42 Thanks for your wonderful work.

02:44 Seeing your continued drive and enthusiasm

02:46 to inspire young kids today, that still is inspiring me.

02:50 Your legacy led to our legacy here.

02:52 And we appreciate it.

02:53 Thank you for making a difference for all of us.

02:57 Live long and prosper.

02:59 The shuttle will be taking scientists and engineers,

03:03 men and women of all races, into space,

03:06 just like the astronaut crew and the Starship Enterprise.

03:11 So that is why I'm speaking to the whole family of humankind,

03:16 minorities and women alike.

03:19 This is your NASA.

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