Too often we underestimate the galvanizing change that celebrities can actually have in society.
We dismiss them at times for simply being “pretty” or mascots for causes that will give them added profile or publicity.
They have a power that can’t be ignored and when harnessed correctly, can have world-changing effects.
In the case of Nichelle Nichols and the documentary Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA, that is completely the case.
Her vision, her faith and her adherence to a cause is what Woman in Motion, an incredibly insightful documentary that transcends the boundaries of Star Trek and shows what can happen when these elements all come together in a perfect medley is about.
Personally speaking, Nichelle Nichols was my first television crush – as soon as I could actually develop one – and being an integral character in my number one fandom, I was fascinated by the magnetic personality that drew the camera to her, but that she was also the first woman of colour I had ever been exposed to. She was also in a science fiction show made her a figure of mystery and I wanted to know more about her.
When Star Trek went into reruns in the 70’s, Nichols was still a familiar face on television, but I had always wondered why, unlike a number of her co-stars, I didn’t see her in other roles. That question wasn’t answered until I was privileged to see the documentary, Woman in Motion.
First of all, I need to state, as a fully-invested Star Trek fan, even with the last name of Kirk, I only knew a fraction of this powerful actress’s accomplishments. From this documentary, I learned things about the character of this woman that I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know. For that, I am grateful. I’m sure other Star Trek fans would be as well.
The first part of the documentary talks about Nichelle’s early history. Her family and how supportive her father was in her acting career. As a father of daughters, this was not lost on me. But I also admire how independent Nichelle was when she started her career at the age of 14, and attracting the attention of billings all across the United States. She even sang for the legendary Duke Ellington – and that alone is a feat of pure awesomeness in itself. From this, she went on to television and met Gene Roddenberry who cast her in roles for his television shows, and that, as we know started her international fame as Star Trek’s Lieutenant Uhura. Her admiration for Roddenberry in this segment is clearly apparent.
The praise for Roddenberry as a storyteller is echoed by other participants in the documentary. George Takei awards Roddenberry with accolades; Walter Koenig talks about the influence of his Star Trek and from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Michael Dorn adds his praises as well. But, of course, it all comes back to Nichelle who all unilaterally agree was not only a vibrant presence in the show but had influence that could not be ignored.
Even though Nichols was praised in this documentary for her talent as an actress, her influence and contribution to the civil rights movement as a black actress in a national television show, it was the work she did after the show’s cancellation that really demonstrated the effect of her celebrity influence. The film applauds what she managed to achieve for the American space program.
Nichols recounts that attendance at the 1975 Star Trek convention and listening to NASA’s Director of Science, Dr. Jesco Von Puttkamer talk about Roddenberry’s dream is an anecdote that needs to be experience by every loyal Star Trek fan! But the charisma that this scientist had triggered an equal response in Nichols who knew that this was a man she needed to know! As a result, this matching of personalities was key to her work and as he was a vibrant and outspoken proponent of NASA’s program, the ground was set for the changing of NASA’s astronaut program to happen. It’s a key part to not only the education of the piece but an enjoyable and personable detail that will enliven, entertain as well as inform.
Nichols actively recruited, allowed her celebrity to be used to change the diversity of the astronaut program and even challenged the authority of the Pentagon and the military apparatus that usually saw to the selection of astronauts. This film describes her work in detail and it also shows how her passion, commitment and status as Lieutenant Uhura and her understanding of the Star Trek ethos gave her status in dealing with these organizations. Who could argue with Lieutenant Uhura when it came to space exploration? But she felt a kinship to these explorers and not only created avenues for heroes to emerge but also felt their losses, especially with the Challenger disaster in 1986. Not only were these her people, but they were her family as well.
I think the detail that this film delves into Nichols’ work for NASA is the its greatest strength. The clearly positive and warm relationship she had formed with them, and the productive results afterwards are obviously accomplishments of great merit, but the first thing that becomes apparent is that Nichelle’s observation that NASA needed more diversity became her calling. It was something that not only she believed in but something that she could lend her influence to and having that sense of faith in a calling is not only rewarding but also represents an ideal that she knew this.
The sequencing of information from various autobiographical sources is also superbly well-organized and powerfully compelling. The fact that Nichol’s recollection of events from various decades of her involvement in this program remains consistent across the years is testament to her commitment to this work. If you truly love something, it becomes an unchanging part of you. The love that Nichols had for PR and Recruiting work for NASA is something monumental and despite her celebrity, something that wasn’t celebrated as much as it should have been, in my opinion. This documentary indirectly addresses that oversight and gives Nichols much overdue credit.
Nichols did this out of love. It’s a story of a celebrity who not only used her influence to initiate a powerful change, but one that was done without the public acclaim or increase to profile that usually accompanies this sort of activity.
I was always a fan of Nichelle Nichols. I had met her in 2016 and was instantly entranced by her personality. Meeting her in 2016 and being fortunate to push her wheelchair in 2018 were treasured experiences. Having her reach back, touch my elbow and tell me that I was kind, is a memory that I will never forget. Had I known more about what she had done for the space program (which is usually a side-love of many Star Trek fans), maybe I would have had more to say than just an awestruck “you’re welcome”.
If you’ve met Nichelle, the one thing that every fan comes away with is how much you mean in that moment to her. If she can share even an iota of her personality, imagine how much she would generate to a cause that meant something to her? In this case, the passion and commitment that she has comes out in this documentary. When she uses phrases like “her people”, or “her family”, then you get a sense of how much this call meant to her.
This is a documentary that not only reasserts Nichelle’s celebrity as a legendary Star Trek actress, but it also celebrates what she was able to do with that particular celebrity. Using her Star Trek background she was able to make impacts and changes on the American space program that led to increased involvement from not only a diversity perspective but also from a civilian one. Sponsoring Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future, she affected the direction of the NASA directive that not only became directives but the soul of those directives. It’s a documentary that Star Trek fans would adhere to but a non- Star Trek audience would be able to appreciate and understand why it’s a fandom that has real-world implications when it comes to space exploration.
As a Star Trek fan and a child devotee to the space program, what Nichols managed behind the scenes is truly admirable and her own insistence that it was not widely advertised is the real magic behind this film.
As an admirer of my wife, a father of daughters and even if I wasn’t a Star Trek fan, this is a documentary that I would willingly share with my family. Nichelle Nichols needs to be known for this achievement and it’s one that I would willingly endorse.
A woman in motion, indeed.
Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA
is available On Demand and Digital HD
* * * * *
Produced by Tim Franta, David Teek, Todd Thompson, Vincent Scuro
Written by Benjamin Crump, John McCall, and Tim Franta
Directed by Todd Thompson
Featuring Nichelle Nichols, Neil deGrasse Tyson, George Takei, Pharrell Williams,
Martin Luther King III, Al Sharpton, Vivica A. Fox, Walter Koenig, Rod Roddenberry,
Michael Dorn, Guy Bluford, Charles Bolden, Ivor Dawson, Frederik Gregory, Benjamin Crump
