July 2022 ended in a sad way with the deaths of three entertainment icons. Emmy/Grammy winner Little MermaidPat Carroll, voice star and singer, has passed away95 while the Bill Russell, the legendary NBA player, died at 88. Also, the weekend saw The death of Star Trek trailblazer Nichelle NicholsAt the age of 89, he succumbed to cardiac failure. This tragic death sparked many other a. TrekTo fan Share your appreciation for the Uhura depicterShe is a pioneer in her field. The ViewModerator and Star Trek: The Next Generation vet Whoopi Goldberg took the time during Monday morning’s episode to pay her personal respects to Nichols for being such an inspiration.
About halfway through the August 1 episode, The View, Whoopi Goldberg and her fellow panelists — Joy Behar, Sara Haines and guest host Ana Navarro — reflected on the aforementioned deaths, with Navarro paying her own personal tribute to Bill Russell. Goldberg had previously paid tribute to Nichelle Nichols, who was a genre-creator that led to the comedian’s inclusion on the panel. Star Trekfranchise (which In 2022, she returned to. Star Trek: Picard’s second season). In Goldberg’s words:
Star Trek legend and actress Nichelle Nichols was a trailblazer and a heroine. She was a person who inspired millions and billions of people. I was inspired by her because when I went to Star Trek, I said that Nichelle was the first Black person that had made it to the future. It wasn’t like she was doing it, she was the head of communications.
While racial and gender diversity in Hollywood is still nowhere near optimal levels, regardless of genre, it’s not impossible to believe we may never have seen Walking Dead alum Sonequa Martin-Green becoming the franchise’s first Black female captain had Nichelle Nichols not been cast alongside Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in the original Star TrekTV Series. Martin-Green received her blessing from NicholsBe ahead Discovery’s debut, is often celebrated specifically for sharing in TV’s first interracial kiss (between Uhura and Kirk) in 1968, but that presumably wasn’t nearly as inspiring to Black sci-fi fans as her being such a prominent crew member in the first place.
Whoopi Goldberg continued to tell the tale. The View’s audience:
This woman and the show were the beacons that said “Yes, we’ll get there”, and that made me feel amazing. She also helped other women get into space. She was extraordinary and I had the privilege of spending time with her over the years. She was my friend, and she’ll be missed. This is all I can say. She’ll be greatly missed.
Goldberg appeared to be a little overwhelmed at the end as she struggled to find the right words. However, she clearly made her point. Nichelle Nicholas was a pioneer in portraying a Black woman in space and in the future. This is something that is still a rare find in science fiction today. The world is better when people are inspired by her to do more in their lives.
The ViewThe other was Hit with a cease and desist messageDue to Whoopi Goldberg’s comments, the show aired weekday mornings a week before. ABC11:01 a.m. ET. Go to our 2022 TV premiere scheduleCheck out the latest and most popular shows coming to your small screen.