Nichelle Nichols photographed by Peter Basch, 1962

Nichelle Nichols visits Whoopi Goldberg on the set.

Watch: Leslie Jones gave a touching tribute to Whoopi Goldberg about why representation matters

Gifs: The View

Just beautiful <3 @lemonade-time

oh my god. Imagine being Whoopi and hearing that though.

Well, when I was nine years old Star Trek came on,“ Goldberg says. “I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, ‘Come here, mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there’s a black lady on television and she ain’t no maid!’ I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be.” - See more at: http://www.startrek.com/database_article/goldberg-whoopi#sthash.gKeuf3XI.dpuf

That’s three generations. Nichelle Nichols to Whoopi Goldberg to Leslie Jones.

Originally posted by geekandsundry

Representation fucking matters.

REPRESENTATION

MATTERS

God, I was hoping someone was going to tell the Nichelle inspiring Whoopi part of the story. It is literally why she did Next Gen.

Add The Next Generation to things that Whoopi Goldberg made possible. We were going to be cancelled at the end of our first season, but Whoopi Goldberg (who was the biggest star on the planet at the time) went to the heads at Paramount and told them she wanted to be on Star Trek. So they gave us another season, specifically for her.

I think about all the people who saw themselves represented on TNG over the years, and all the kids who are now scientists and engineers who were inspired by the show, and I hope that Whoopi Goldberg always gets the credit she deserves for making it possible for TNG to grow the beard.

FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT UHURA IS A GODDAMN ENGINEER, WHICH IS WHY SHE WEARS RED. SHE IS THE COMMS OFFICER BECAUSE SHE KNOWS HOW TO WORK THE EQUIVALENT OF THE SHIP’S HAM RADIO—THAT’S TECHNICAL WORK. SHE IS NOT KIRK’S SPACE SECRETARY.

And she speaks a bunch of languages and she’s so smart that when she lost her memory of everything, she learned it all again really quickly (with nurse chapel which was so cute)

Honey got skills and she’s a genius 

And she knows how to play the Vulcan lyre too!

I was just trying to start a conversation.

Nyota Uhura | Communications Officer, USS Enterprise

She.

HER.

Nichelle Nichols by artist Robin Damore

The artist has totally captured the beauty, style, and dignity of this wonderful woman. Nichelle is 84 years old as of 28 December 2016, and still a working actress, though she retired from her gig as a NASA recruiter many years ago.

Nichelle Nichols