I had the pleasure of meeting the legendary Nichelle Nichols Saturday night at the Arch Angel VIP Star Trek Party in the Windsor Room of the Westin St. Francis Hotel. We could have talked on camera for a good 25 minutes, but in just over 8 minutes, managed to cover a lot of ground in a fun conversation.
My first interest was in her view of why Star Trek, well, endures? Nichelle Nichols said that it all goes back to the drive of Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry and his desire to keep his ‘Wagon Train to The Stars’ going. “And that people had to know how important we are to each other, no matter who we are,” she said. That’s a central theme of Star Trek and the Star Trek Universe.
Obama Had A Crush On Uhura
Nichelle Nichols and I spent a lot of our time talking about the meaning of President Obama’s reelection and his impact on America, and what it says about us. Then, Ms. Nichols revealed that President Obama told he had a crush on Lt. Uhura when he was in collage. (Ha. So did I, but as a teenager.) President Obama also revealed his expertise in presenting the Vulcan salute, which means “Live Long And Prosper,” as you can see in the photo.
As you will see in the video, if you’ve not watched it already, Nichelle Nichols’ is a delightful person who’s clearly enjoyed her life and her role on Star Trek, which has had such a dramatic impact on American Culture. At the party, which was populated by a combination of Star Trek stars, movie producers, and bloggers like this blogger, people gravitated toward her warmth and friendship. In fact, you can see an example of that in the video!
Stay tuned.