Regular readers 'round these parts know all too well that I don't always agree with the politics that actors tend to wrap around themselves like a security blanket, but I do have to say that one of the most inclusive talent I'd ever had the opportunity to listen to was the great Nichelle Nichols.
Honestly, I can't remember what the issue was I heard her discuss was ... and that's largely because she never let her passion for the subject run away with it (the way so many do), instead just choosing to maintain a focus on pointing out why it mattered to her while also allowing for a difference of opinion. That alone is something I find refreshing -- especially amongst Star Trek's die-hard Left-leaning contingent of on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent. Again: I don't harbor ill thoughts toward anyone's politics ... I just resent having it thrust down my throat. Ms. Nichols was far more accomodating and understanding than those she surrounded herself with, and maybe that's owed to the sum total of her life experience. I couldn't say ... I'm only hypothesizing.
In any event, she was definitely a pioneer among some of TV's greats of her era. I think we've all heard the story about her wanting to leave Trek behind during its original run because she wasn't getting enough to do, only to have the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. give her exactly the words of encouragement she needed at such a pivotal time in both her life and ours (as a species). Who knows? Maybe because someone saw something special in her -- while they had a difference of opinion -- she committed her life to giving others the same consideration? Stranger things have happened.
I suspect for many of us, we'll always see her as one of the key members who served aboard the fateful Starship Enterprise, and -- though I could be wrong -- that's a legacy I think she adored in her own way. She definitely burned a bright flame while serving as a member of one of TV's most important ensembles ... and we'll always have to commitment and dedication to appreciate in even the darkest of times.
Thoughts and prayers are extended to the family and friends of Ms. Nichols. May she forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
Honestly, I can't remember what the issue was I heard her discuss was ... and that's largely because she never let her passion for the subject run away with it (the way so many do), instead just choosing to maintain a focus on pointing out why it mattered to her while also allowing for a difference of opinion. That alone is something I find refreshing -- especially amongst Star Trek's die-hard Left-leaning contingent of on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent. Again: I don't harbor ill thoughts toward anyone's politics ... I just resent having it thrust down my throat. Ms. Nichols was far more accomodating and understanding than those she surrounded herself with, and maybe that's owed to the sum total of her life experience. I couldn't say ... I'm only hypothesizing.
In any event, she was definitely a pioneer among some of TV's greats of her era. I think we've all heard the story about her wanting to leave Trek behind during its original run because she wasn't getting enough to do, only to have the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. give her exactly the words of encouragement she needed at such a pivotal time in both her life and ours (as a species). Who knows? Maybe because someone saw something special in her -- while they had a difference of opinion -- she committed her life to giving others the same consideration? Stranger things have happened.
I suspect for many of us, we'll always see her as one of the key members who served aboard the fateful Starship Enterprise, and -- though I could be wrong -- that's a legacy I think she adored in her own way. She definitely burned a bright flame while serving as a member of one of TV's most important ensembles ... and we'll always have to commitment and dedication to appreciate in even the darkest of times.
Thoughts and prayers are extended to the family and friends of Ms. Nichols. May she forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
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