Beyond Uhura – Star Trek and Other Memories

I’m not sure how it occurred to me, but when I realized that Nichelle Nichols wrote an autobiography, I immediately requested it from the library and read it as soon as possible. I love Star Trek, and I’m black so reading Nichelle Nichols’ Beyond Uhura – Star Trek and Other Memories is a no brainer. If anything, I should have read it sooner. I really enjoy reading autobiographies, butparticularly if black entertainers and artists wrote the autobiographies.
I recently read Diahann Carol and Eartha Kitt’s autobiographies. Though Nichols faced similar difficulties and may not have received the awards that Carroll received or considered an artist like Kitt, Nichols connection to a well-known franchise afforded her a security and a more stable stream of success not experienced by her contemporaries. Nichols had more advocates behind the scenes and from the audience, which most actors can’t depend on. Also Nichols diversified her portfolio by becoming a spokesperson for NASA and other organizations outside of the entertainment industry.
What is most interesting about Beyond Uhura – Star Trek and Other Memories is Nichols is usually diplomatic, but there is an irreverent, mischievous tone as the story progresses, not bitterness or implicit PTSD. She may have faced controversy, but the backlash did not last as long as it did for her contemporaries. Beyond Uhura – Star Trek and Other Memories does have stories about her personal life, but she basically stops sharing anything after her failed first marriage and how much she loves her family. She does reveal her relationship with Gene Roddenberry, but obviously even that culminated in a lifetime of friendship. Either Nichols is really fortunate to live a life free from acrimony, or her publicist made sure her likable persona stayed in tact.
Beyond Uhura – Star Trek and Other Memories may not be a tell-all book, but it is an enjoyable autobiography of a sci fi legend.