Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek series, died Saturday at the age of 89.
The announcement was made on Sunday by her son, Kyle Johnson, on social media.
Nichols broke barriers as one of the first black women featured in a major television series with her role on Star Trek.
In a ground breaking scene in 1968, Nichols' character Uhura and Captain Kirk, portrayed by William Shatner, shared a kiss which is considered one of the first interracial kisses on scripted television.
Nichols is said to have often told the story of her meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who convinced her to stay on Star Trek when she considered quitting. Nichols said that King equated her role in the show with the civil rights movement and how inspiring it was for black children and women to see her appear as an equal on screen.
Following her role on Star Trek, Nichols worked with NASA in an effort to help recruit women and minorities to the space agency.
https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1553843225588285440
Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, and United States Air Force Colonel Guion Bluford, the first African-American astronaut are considered to have been recruited due to Nichols' program. Former astronaut Mae Jemison has cited Uhura as her inspiration for wanting to become an astronaut.
https://twitter.com/maejemison/status/1553823767775813632
Fans, colleagues, politicians, activists, and many others have been sharing their memories of Nichols and condolences on social media since the announcement of her death.
https://twitter.com/RealLyndaCarter/status/1553830659268943872
https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/1553825543740686343
https://twitter.com/staceyabrams/status/1553827845201444865