Nichelle Nichols is an African-American actress, singer, voice artist, and music producer. In addition to that, she has written a memoir and science-fiction novels, and worked to recruit women and minorities to NASA. She was born on December 28, 1932 in Robbins Illinois. She is the first African – American female character on a major American television series who was not portrayed as a servant. She was best known for playing lieutenant Uhura on a classic science fiction television series Star Trek from 1966 to 1969. In the episode “Plato’s stepchildren”, she created a controversy for kissing a white person, William Shatner in 1968, while many applaud others protested.

She was tempted to leave the series after the first season to pursue a Broadway career. However, it was thanks to Martin Luther King Jr. that she stayed. He made her change her mind and encouraged her to remain in the role. He was proud of her and even considered himself a fan of hers for making history. She became a role model to young African American women and children as well to those who viewed the black community not as an inferior group, but as people who are to be treated equally and belong in the American society.