Actress Nichelle Nichols, Uhura of 'Star Trek', dies at 89

US actress Nichelle Nichols (right, seen in a 2007 filepc),who was best known for portraying Lt Nyota Uhura (left) on 'Star Trek: The Originial Series', has died at the age of 89. – Photo: AFP (right)

Nichelle Nichols, a groundbreaking Black actress who played communications officer Nyota Uhura with cool authority on the popular 1960s series Star Trek, has died at 89.

Her son, Kyle Johnson, announced the death on the official uhura.com website, saying, "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain."