Actress Nichelle Nichols was born on December 28, 1932, in Robbins, Illinois as Grace Dell Nichols. She was the third of six children. Her dad, Samuel Earl Nichols, was a factory worker who was elected both town mayor of Robbins in 1929 and its chief magistrate, and her mother, Lisa Nichols, was a homemaker.
When she was younger, she disliked her name and asked her parents to change it. They suggested Nichelle”, which meant “victorious maiden”. Soon after, her family moved to Chicago.
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From the age of 12, she began studying dance at the Chicago Ballet Academy. Eventually, her singing and dancing career began in Chicago. She also took tours in the United States and Canada, along with bands.
She also featured in musical performances and some major plays. Along with acting and singing, she modelled by the side.
Nichols acted in the role of Nyota Uhura on Star Trek, and she was one of the first Black women featured in a major television series. Her notable supporting role as a bridge officer was remarkable as it encouraged black people to dream.
One time, she was tempted to quit the role of Nyota on Star Trek until she had a conversation with a fan, Martin Luther King Jr. and he changed her mind. He encouraged her to stay because her appearance on the show was important to black children, and the civil rights movement and was a statement that showed the equality of black people to others.
Nichols volunteered her time in a project with NASA to draft minority and female personnel for the space agency. This project was in partnership with Women in Motion, a company she helped run. The collaboration was a success. She also participated in a couple of NASA events.
She married twice and had a child. She wrote three books and released two albums. The star played in a lot of movies. She died on July 30, 2022, at the age of 89.
