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Nichelle Nichols, best known for her role in the 1960s sci-fi TV series Star Trek, has died at the age of 89. Photo credit: Pinterest

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[{"selector":"#anim-dfe85544-2b31-47e3-adcf-fac116214079","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-78aa74e9-50ab-4a14-9864-6bf1b3e180a4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7abf4c7a-7d91-443c-8a25-df10c567f951","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 297.90840%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-13cf11fd-5f56-4a2c-836b-225f2be0db14","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec7a432e-db62-47c1-b65a-25e39b88d20b","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(90deg) translate3d(-52.84091%, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)","rotate(90deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)"]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In the series, Nichelle Nichols played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, making her one of the first black actresses in the The US to represent a position in authority. Photo credit: Pinterest

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[{"selector":"#anim-eb080a4a-2d6d-4fcf-840f-6de43286a4c4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3e95c136-22d4-4a22-b36e-4d6df4ad34ad","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d96c7acb-d2f4-45e6-aa53-01196f191e70","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 395.65961%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-90a40892-000a-4fd2-abb9-587d9f27a3bf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-37b26b45-1f5d-4a18-99d0-14f811cd94c5","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(90deg) translate3d(-52.84091%, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)","rotate(90deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)"]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Nichols was also hired by Nasa in an effort to encourage more females and African-Americans to become astronauts. Photo credit: Pinterest

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[{"selector":"#anim-95d701bd-6640-49a1-ae85-b27189742bab","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-46e3f157-e5ec-4c92-9abb-8f6530aef362","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e04ea2f1-e0a9-4da6-a233-abe51f37daf1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 297.90840%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-52ad8557-e153-4373-a6b2-9b4ec6fda6ec","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5b2f6dd6-4209-45be-9119-64b49dc241bd","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(90deg) translate3d(-52.84091%, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)","rotate(90deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)"]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] J. J. Abrams wrote on Twitter, " A remarkable woman in a remarkable role. Nichelle, you will be deeply missed. Sending much love and respect." Photo credit: Pinterest

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[{"selector":"#anim-8ad99509-538b-4d3b-ad75-913d1c6f1b24","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b2455a93-cfd4-480d-8d21-2adb00fbd754","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9d376d14-b047-47ec-a913-6b43f66d8056","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 395.65961%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5c854666-403c-4bd3-939e-66f0a921e4cd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e4f81319-bb34-4315-8663-231f72137da3","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(90deg) translate3d(-52.84091%, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)","rotate(90deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)"]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] On Star Trek, Nichelle Nichols also shared one of the first interracial kisses in television history. Photo credit: Google

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[{"selector":"#anim-f330a9d7-3483-4585-b066-4086f848299d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f7fd6eb8-2460-4720-b8f4-efe816d880d2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d23a4f03-e643-421f-8c7e-0607a8393edb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 395.65961%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c2597696-8bf8-4560-b2bf-ea14dd6635ce","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff870828-654b-4d08-bc73-61996d73779c","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(90deg) translate3d(-52.84091%, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)","rotate(90deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)"]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] She, like other Star Trek cast members, struggled to find work after the original series ended owing to typecasting. Photo credit: Twitter

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[{"selector":"#anim-69d6a33e-0ed6-4f81-b02f-85bb85d6a2ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-17eaa263-dd62-43c5-8cdf-dcba67139f76","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a2735e5c-e570-4577-a98d-06e9bdef29cc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 297.90840%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3e4d1084-100b-4947-8989-29638583f3a0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60f46770-382b-49c8-a400-424bb5c5868e","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(90deg) translate3d(-52.84091%, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)","rotate(90deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)"]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In the 1960s, the Star Trek television series broke shattered preconceptions by putting black and minority performers in prominent roles. Photo credit: Twitter

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[{"selector":"#anim-aa54c8bd-76aa-4d8a-95d9-b8e4c2449325","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a821f002-a9ff-4853-86f6-162196a1f53c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4b6da83e-91bc-45e5-a298-74ee224c3867","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 395.65961%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43b151cf-13db-482c-9d59-bc98501c3e97","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b5500019-c4a8-4348-ac2e-283596f7e330","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(90deg) translate3d(-52.84091%, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)","rotate(90deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(-90deg)"]},"delay":50,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Nichols "symbolized to so many what was possible" and "inspired generations to reach for the stars," NASA said on Twitter. Photo credit: US Weekly