Variety says...

Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed chief communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” series, died in Silver City, N.M. She was 89 years old.

Nichols’ death was confirmed by Gilbert Bell, her talent manager and business partner of 15 years.

Nichols shared one of the first interracial kisses in television history on “Star Trek.” That moment, shared with her co-star William Shatner, was a courageous move on the part of Nichols, “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and NBC considering the climate at the time, but the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren,” which aired in 1968, was written to give all involved an out: Uhura and Captain Kirk did not choose to kiss but were instead made to do so involuntarily by aliens with the ability to control the movements of humans. Nevertheless, it was a landmark moment.

There had been a couple of interracial kisses on American television before. A year earlier on “Movin’ With Nancy,” Sammy Davis Jr. kissed Nancy Sinatra on the cheek in what appeared to be a spontaneous gesture but was in fact carefully planned. The Uhura-Kirk kiss was likely the first televised white/African American lip-to-lip kiss.

But Uhura, whose name comes from a Swahili word meaning “freedom,” was essential beyond the interracial kiss: A capable officer who could man other stations on the bridge when the need arose, she was one of the first female African-American characters in a nonmenial role on television.

Nichols played Lt. Uhura on the original series, voiced her on “Star Trek: The Animated Series” and played Uhura in the first six “Star Trek” films. Uhura was promoted to lieutenant commander in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and to full commander in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”

She was my first TV crush....R.I.P. Queen

[Edited 8/1/22 3:42am]

She lived to 89 RIP Spock kisses.

uPtoWnNY said:

phunkdaddy said:

She was a beauty on Star Trek. She was also incredibly funny in Truck Turner with Isaac Hayes as a Madame. RIP

Her pimp hand was strong!

Female Pimpin, Nichelle N... - YouTube