Nichelle Nichols Obituary

Nichelle Nichols was an American actress, singer, and dancer best known for her role as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series and its film adaptations.

For African American actresses on American television, Nichols’ portrayal of Uhura was groundbreaking.

Nichelle Nichols died of natural causes on July 30, 2022, at the age of 89.  She is survived by her son Kyle Johnson

Nichelle Nichols was born on December 28, 1932, in Robbins, Illinois, to Samuel Earl Nichols, a factory worker who was elected both town mayor and chief magistrate of Robbins in 1929, and his wife, Salish Nichols, a homemaker.

Nichelle Nichols was the third child in a family of six. Nichols went to Englewood High School for high school, where she graduated in 1951. Nichols also attended classes in New York City and Los Angeles.

Her acting career spanned more than four decades. She made significant contributions to the representation of women of colour not only on television but also in space.

In 2021, Nichelle was awarded the NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for inspiring and recruiting diverse communities to participate in NASA’s space programmes.