1
00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,560
I first learned about Star Trek through my mom.

2
00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,280
She and her three sisters used to rush home to\h\h

3
00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,240
watch the original Star Trek\h
because of Nichelle Nichols.

4
00:00:18,240 --> 00:00:23,520
They really enjoyed seeing someone who looked like\h
themselves portraying a character on TV like that.

5
00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:29,200
I loved everything about science fiction\h
shows, the whole idea of exploring space.

6
00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:33,760
So that's why I decided to become an engineer and\hit was my aspiration to ultimately work for NASA.

7
00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,880
Hi, I'm Nichelle Nichols, but I still feel\h
a little bit like Lieutenant Uhura

8
00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:40,960
on the starship\h\hEnterprise.

9
00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:46,320
In 1977, NASA hired Nichelle Nichols to\h
help recruit the Space Shuttle astronauts.

10
00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,480
She actually gave a speech that\h
year for the National Space\h\h

11
00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:53,760
Institute on the humanizing of space.

12
00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:58,800
She asked, "Where are my people?" who she\hwas referring to women and minorities.

13
00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,120
NASA, of course, heard about the speech\hand invited her to NASA headquarters.

14
00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,760
Jim Fletcher was then the NASA Administrator,\h\h

15
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,880
and he asked Nichelle Nichols if she would\h
be interested in serving as a spokesperson\h\h

16
00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:16,080
or an ambassador for NASA and help them recruit\h
the first class of Space Shuttle astronauts.

17
00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:18,560
This is your NASA.

18
00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:25,840
A space agency embarked on a mission to improve\h
the quality of life on planet Earth right now.

19
00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,680
Not only did she portray a technical\h
character in a time period where you\h\h

20
00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:36,720
didn't see a lot of women or people of\h
color in technical roles on television.

21
00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,560
She symbolized to so many what was possible.

22
00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:46,080
What I love about Nichelle Nichols\h
is how she embraced the role and\h\h

23
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:55,600
how she portrayed us and gave us that roadmap\h
for the future generation of women to follow.

24
00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,720
We definitely need more\h
characters like Uhura today.

25
00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:04,080
There's still just something special about\h
seeing people who look like yourself portraying\h\h

26
00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:09,200
the kinds of things that you might one day be\h
able to do in the world, especially for kids.

27
00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,040
You just embed in their minds,\h
even in an unconscious way,\h\h

28
00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:18,160
this idea that they really do have\h
a whole world of options out there\h\h

29
00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:23,360
because if they're told something but they don't\h
see it, it doesn't really sink in as being real.

30
00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:27,280
Nichelle, I want to personally thank you\h\h

31
00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:33,840
for is inspiring me to be part\h
of this space exploration career.

32
00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,160
This is Mike Hopkins with\h
Crew-1, and we just wanted to\h\h

33
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,640
to say how much you inspired\h
us as we were growing up.

34
00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:42,240
You taught us how to dream.

35
00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,160
Thanks for your wonderful work.

36
00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:48,400
Seeing your continued drive and\h
enthusiasm to inspire young kids today,\h\h

37
00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:50,080
that still is inspiring me.

38
00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,080
Your legacy led to our legacy\h
here, and we appreciate it.

39
00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,680
Thank you for making a difference for all of us.

40
00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:58,837
Live long and prosper.

41
00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:06,240
The shuttle will be taking scientists and\h
engineers, men and women of all races into\h\h

42
00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:12,160
space just like the astronaut crew on\h
the starship Enterprise so that is why\h\h