Star Trek's trailblazing actress Nichelle Nichols dies at 89

msn.com:

US & throughout the world. I will certainly miss her. "  George Takei, who as helmsman Sulu shared the bridge with Lieutenant Uhura, called her "trailblazing and incomparable. "And US President Joe Biden said Nichols "redefined what is possible for Black Americans and women. " "Our nation is forever indebted to inspiring artists like Nichelle Nichols, who show us a future where unity, dignity, and respect are cornerstones of every society," he said in a statement.

Nichols made history with one of the first interracial kisses on US television -- a 1968 embrace shared with Shatner (a kiss deemed worthy of a separate entry in Wikipedia).

Martin Luther King Jr. himself once praised Nichols, who broke ground with her powerful performance at a time when Black actors more often were cast as servants or criminals.

Nichols, who had trained in ballet and musical theater, at one point told "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry that she wanted to quit the show to return to the theater.