Beyond Uhura

Blurb

 * For nearly thirty years Nichelle Nichols has been part of the Star Trek mythos. As Lieutenant Uhura, communications officer of the Starship Enterprise, she was the first African-American woman to have a major continuing role on television. Her candid and insightful autobiography takes readers on her life's voyage of personal discovery and professional triumph – beyond Uhura.


 * Granddaughter of the rebellious son of a slave owner, Nichelle Nichols grew up in a socially progressive family. By the age of sixteen the young singer-dancer had already been praised by Josephine Baker and had worked with Duke Ellington. With tenacity and talent, she established herself as a first-rate performer in nightclubs, on stage, and eventually in film.


 * From the beginning of her Hollywood career, some would say, she had two strikes against her: she was Black and she was a woman. In the face of racism, a brush with the mob, and an attempted rape, she fought courageously against the injustices that stood between her and her dreams.


 * Through an early job in television – years before Star Trek – Nichols met Gene Roddenberry. Describing her pivotal role in the Star Trek universe, she takes readers where no book has gone before: into the heart and mind of this man, the series' creator, and for a time her lover and afterward a friend. She also reveals the true story behind the scenes with the Star Trek family, and details the evolution of the Trekker phenomenon with humor, affection, and respect.


 * A symbol of hope and promise for millions of viewers, Nichols continues to work toward the same goals Lieutenant Uhura and, indeed, all of Star Trek embody. Whether spearheading a national recruitment drive to bring minorities and women into the NASA astronaut corps, or producing space-oriented educational films and programs for young people, Nichols remains devoted to inspiring a sense of wonder and promise for humankind's real-life future among the stars.


 * Her autobiography is a moving testament to the indomitably of the human spirit.

Contents

 * Acknowledgments
 * Prologue
 * [12 untitled chapters]
 * Epilogue
 * Index