STARFLEET HISTORICAL DATABASE FILE: Uhura

Mid-level Biography Brief Mode

Played By: Nichelle Nichols

Rank: Commander

Date of birth: 2239

Place of birth: United States of Africa, Earth

Parents: Mother, M'Umbha

Education: Starfleet Academy, 2257-61

Starfleet Career Summary

2266 -- Communications officer, U.S.S. Enterprise, under Capt. James T. Kirk

2271 -- Promoted to lieutenant commander, refit U.S.S. Enterprise under Capt. Will Decker

2277 -- Assigned to Starfleet Academy cadet training and Starfleet Command communications

2285 -- By now a commander, aboard U.S.S. Enterprise for rescue of Genesis development team

2286 -- Inquiry dismisses charges related to theft of U.S.S. Enterprise

2287 -- Oversees communications on new NCC-1701-A Enterprise

Uhura served as communications officer aboard the Enterprise on its original five-year mission, under the command of James T. Kirk. It is not unusual to see her rewire or repair her own communications board during a crisis.

In Swahili the name of Uhura, a striking black woman, translates to 'freedom,' and she speaks that language fluently. She also has a singing voice and was known to entertain members of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew, accompanying herself on the Vulcan harp. Uhura has shown some romantic interest in Scotty, but it was never pursued. After her memory was wiped in 2267 by the space probe Nomad, Uhura spent considerable time relearning the huge pieces of information the probe had destroyed.

Uhura served at Starfleet Command on Earth after the reassignment of the original U.S.S. Enterprise to Starfleet Academy in 2284, where part of her duty was to give lectures. Prior to the Khitomer peace conference, Uhura returned to her former post on the U.S.S. Enterprise-A at the request of Captain Kirk.

Nichelle Nichols was born in Robbins, Illinois, near Chicago. Her father was both the town mayor of Robbins and its chief magistrate. She has studied in Chicago as well as New York and Los Angeles. During her time in New York, Nichelle appeared at the famous Blue Angel and Playboy Clubs, as a singer. She also appeared in the role of Carmen for a Chicago stock company production of "Carmen Jones."

She has twice been nominated for the Sara Siddon Award as best actress and is an accomplished dancer and singer. Her first Siddon nomination was for her portrayal of Hazel Sharp in "Kicks and Co.," and the second for her performance in "The Blacks."

Nichelle toured the United States, Canada and Europe as a singer with the Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton bands. On the west coast, she appeared in "Roar of the Grease Pain, Smell of the Crowd," "For My People," and garnered high praise for her performance in the James Baldwin play, "Blues for Mr. Charlie."

Prior to being cast as Lt. Uhura in Star Trek, Nichelle had guested on Gene Roddenberry's first series, The Lieutenant.

At the end of Star Trek's first season, Nichelle was thinking seriously of leaving the show, but a chance and moving meeting with Martin Luther King changed her mind. He told her she couldn't give up... she was a vital role model for young black women in American. Needless to say, Nichelle stayed with the show and has appeared in six of the seven subsequent movies. She also provided the voice for Lt. Uhura on the Star Trek animated series in 1974-75.

Following Star Trek's cancellation in 1969, Nichelle went on to appear in films like, "Mister Buddwing," "Made in Paris," "Porgy and Bess," and "Doctor, You've Got to be Kidding!"

Turning her sights toward her music, Nichelle released a single, "Shoop Shoop," on 20th Century Records and often sings at her convention appearances. She has also released an album, "Dark Side of the Moon," which includes the song she wrote in tribute to Gene Roddenberry, "Gene." Nichelle sang the song at Roddenberry's memorial service.

Always interested in space travel, Nichelle flew aboard the C-141 Astronomy Observatory, which analyzed the atmospheres of Mars and Saturn, on an eight hour, high altitude mission. She was also special guest at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena on July 17, 1976 to view the Viking probe's soft landing on Mars. Along with the other cast members from the original Star Trek, Nichelle attended the christening of the first space shuttle, "Enterprise," at Cape Canaveral. Nichelle also spends much time recruiting minorities for NASA.

A few years ago, Nichelle toured in a one-woman play where she portrayed many famous black female singers of the 20th century. Some of her hobbies are oil painting, designing her own clothes, reading science fiction and sculpting. She has also acted as spokesperson for her favorite charity, "The Kwanzaa Foundation." Her biography, "Beyond Uhura," was published in 1994.