Actress Nichelle Nichols, 'Star Trek's trail-blazing Uhura, dies at 89

According to her son, Kyle Johnson, who posted the news on Facebook, Nichelle Nichols "suffered from natural causes and passed away" on Saturday night. Her fans included Martin Luther King Jr. and a young Barack Obama.

She helped define roles for Black actors in the 1960s science-fiction series "Star Trek" and subsequent films as Lieutenant Uhura, according to her family.

According to her son, Kyle Johnson, who conveyed the news on Facebook, Nichols "suffered from natural causes and passed away" on Saturday night. There was a young Barack Obama who was one of her admirers, as well as Martin Luther King Jr.

"Her light will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and be inspired by, just as the newly discovered ancient galaxies," Johnson wrote.

American television stereotypes would be subverted in this series, making it a pop culture phenomenon.