One of those cast members, Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Nyoto Uhura, wanted to quit the show, saying her character, a black woman in a short skirt, was little more than eye candy on the mostly white, male command center. Her communications officer position was rarely part of the action.
Before quitting, legend has it that civil rights icon Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. himself called Nichelle Nichols on the telephone, spoke to her of the importance of her role, for little black girls all over the world to see a future where they're part of the command crew, too. He implored her to stay with her role.
Fast forward almost sixty years. Another civil rights icon, Stacey Abrams, was featured in the latest Star Trek Iteration: Discovery. Miss Abrams herself played a character, and not just a background bridge officer. Stacey Abrams played the President of Earth.
We've come a long way.
