An actress known as one of the first Black female leads on television, dies at the age of 89

Nichelle Nichols played Lieutenant Uhura in the original TV hit Star Trek

She achieved worldwide fame and broke barriers as one of the first Black female leads on television.

In an interview with the Television academy, she reveals what Dr. Martin Luther King told her about her character’s impact.

Nichols’s son announced her death on instagram.

“I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years,” he wrote on social media.

Nichols had a stroke in 2015 and her son said she died on Saturday as she “succumbed to natural causes”.

Social media has been flooded with tributes, including from co-star George Takei.

He tweeted that his heart was heavy and he would have more to say on the “incomparable” trailblazer soon.

NASA also sent their condolences, tweeting “She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars”