Nichelle Nichols’ Lt. Uhura was an inspiration in a time of racial strife.

Before Halle Barry, before Beyonce, and before Zoe Saldana – there was Nichelle Nichols, who boldly went where no African-American woman had gone before. Nichols played Lt. Uhura on the original Star Trek, contributing to Gene Roddenberry’s utopist view of a multicultural future in space. Nichols’ Uhura was an breath of fresh air on the lily-white television screens of America in 1966.

But 1966 was also a year marking increasing racial tensions in America. To many, Uhura was more than just a TV character—she was an icon of inspiration, setting a standard of multicultural womanhood on television. Nichols was no housekeeper or “mammy,” but an intelligent space traveler working in a world of equality. Her fans include the first African-American astronaut in space Mae Jemison, who cites Nichols as her inspiration to go into space.

Nichols was born in 1932, in a small town near Chicago. Discovered by Duke Ellington as a teenager, the singer and dancer toured with Ellington and Lionel Hampton. She was cast on Star Trek after appearing in creator Gene Roddenberry’s initial foray into television, The Lieutenant.

During the first year of the series, Nichols considered leaving the show to perform on Broadway. However, Martin Luther King, Jr. himself convinced the actress to stay on as Lt. Uhura. She met the iconic Civil Rights leader at a NAACP event in 1966. As Nichols recalls the meeting, “He was telling me why I could not [resign],” she told the Daily News. “He said I had the first nonstereotypical role, I had a role with honor, dignity and intelligence. He said, ‘You simply cannot abdicate, this is an important role. This is why we are marching. We never thought we’d see this on TV.’”

Nichols decided to stay on the show and continued making milestones, including kissing William Shatner on the original Star Trek. This was by most accounts the first interracial kiss between a black woman and a white male on television. Here you can see Nichols discussing the kiss.

After Star Trek’s cancellation in 1969, Nichols went on to appear in all six film follow-ups. She has since served as recruiter for NASA to encourage women and minorities to join the program. Nichols has appeared on several boards and organizations to promote space travel and was present for the final liftoff of Atlantis, the last shuttle to fly into space. Today, she continues to be honored for her work both in television and advocacy.

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I am woman. 

Throughout history, women have had plenty of reasons to be upset. From being denied the right to vote, to being robbed of basic civil liberties, to being told what they can and can’t do with their bodies, female oppression has long existed, and it was only relatively recently that women gained the courage to speak up. We’ve come a long way, but as Rush Limbaugh showed us just last week, we still have a ways to go. In honor of International Women’s Day, we take a look back in photos at the issues that have ignited outrage among women over the past century.

(above) 1909: Girls march against child labor at a labor parade in New York City.

1913: Suffrage parade.

1917: Throngs of women charge New York’s City Hall to protest the soaring cost of food.

1917: Woman’s suffrage protest in Washington, D.C.

1917: Suffragists picket the White House in Washington, D.C.

1938: Hosiery workers protest the Japanese Silk boycott in Washington, D.C.

1938: Spanish-born women protest the arms embargo on Spain in Washington, D.C.

1939: Jewish and-Palestine White Paper demonstrations in Washington D.C.

1956: Rosa Parks sits in the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation.

1962: Women strike for peace at the UN building during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

1963: Woman participating in the Civil Rights March on Washington D.C.

1968: Anti-war demonstrators in support of Eartha Kitt.

1976: Anti-abortion demonstration at the Democratic National Convention in New York City.

2008: Pro-choice Walk for Life in San Francisco.

2008: Save the Seals protest in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

2009: Proposition 8 same-sex marriage protest in Fresno, California.

2010: G-20 Toronto Summit protests.

2011: Slutwalk protest against excusing rape because of appearance.

2011: Occupy Wall Street riles up the 99 percent.

2011: Women across the country stand with Planned Parenthood as funding is cut.

SEE ALSO:

40 Gorgeous Photos of Europe

40 Gorgeous Photos of North America

40 Gorgeous Photos of Latin America

40 Gorgeous Photos of Asia

40 Gorgeous Photos of Africa

25 Photos of Islands Threatened by Climate Change

25 Images of Female Adrenaline Seekers

40 Photos from Flea Markets Around the World

30 Gorgeous Photos of Winter Snowscapes

30 Gorgeous Photos of Farming and Agriculture

15 Hilarious Photos of Interspecies Mingling

30 Photos of the World’s Most Uniquely Designed Buildings

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The Pope has been speaking a great deal of late about the state of the world and pressing issues of morality – and even chiming in on environmental problems. But what exactly did Pope Benedict say that’s surely going to hurt more than help? He mentioned that saving the rainforest is just as important as saving humanity. Now there’s a welcome recognition of true ecology! Not that, then. But wait: he elaborated further to state that humanity needs to be saved from homosexuals. Come again?

I try hard to respect those with whom I disagree. I can understand that from the Pope’s religious viewpoint, same-sex relationships go against the exclusive male-female union advocated by the Church. But does humanity really need to be saved from people loving each other? If you ask me, I’m bothered by the Pope’s use of “ecology”. After all, it’s a word we hold dear here at EcoSalon.

Editor’s note: You loyal readers know very well that for us, green is just one part of a broader ecology we consistently explore and promote – one of balance, wellness, productive relationships, and a positive lifestyle. It’s about personal sustainability, and how each one of us can best fit into the bigger picture. To us, no matter what our personal preferences or spiritual practices, “ecology” means accepting all of humanity and figuring out how we can work together for the greater good of our planet and our collective wellbeing. So, we’re saddened by the Pope’s definition of ecology.

But what do you think?

Image: GcD^3

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