Nichelle Nichols
The Star Trek actress, known for playing Uhura and her groundbreaking depiction of television’s first interracial kiss, died at age 89 on July 30, her son Kyle Johnson confirmed.
“I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years,” a July 31 post on Nichols’ Facebook page announced. “Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”
The New York Times noted that she died in Silver City, New Mexico, and heart failure was her official cause of death.
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