Photos: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek star and NASA recruiter; at convention and as Lt. Uhura on Star Trek, from Wikimedia
A New Mexico jury has awarded $13 million to the estate of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek star and jazz singer who died in 2022. The lawsuit hinged on the actions of Gila Medical Center, which, after diagnosing Ms. Nichols’ heart condition sent her to an assisted living facility instead of a full-service hospital in Las Cruces. She expired a few hours later at the non-medical facility.
Nichelle Nichols was born in 1932 in the Black-founded town of Robbins, Illinois, where her grandfather and father had both been elected mayors. From the 1950s onward, she had a steady career on stage in musicals and as a jazz singer before joining Star Trek in 1966.
She almost quit her role on Star Trek in the 1960s, until Dr. Martin Luther King convinced her to remain on the show as she was the most visible Black person in America at the time. Star Trek was also Dr. King’s favorite TV show.
Ms. Nichols later recruited for NASA and astronaut Dr. Mae Jamison was one of those recruits.
