To Boldly Go opens in the lounge of a younger Black woman and her household. It’s “TV night,” and they’re making ready to look at a “real treat”: actor Nichelle Nichols within the function of Lieutenant Uhura on “Star Trek.” Author Angela Dalton makes use of this semi-autobiographical framing system to arrange her image e-book biography of the trailblazing Black actor.
Following Nichols by way of a childhood stuffed with artwork and music, to her early profession in dance, to her time in Hollywood, Dalton successfully communicates how groundbreaking Nichols’ “Star Trek” character was. During an period “when Black actresses played servants on television” and real-life astronauts had been solely white males, Lieutenant Uhura was a robust, clever Black lady, a communications officer aboard the USS Enterprise and a pacesetter amongst her fellow officers. Black viewers “burst with pride seeing someone who looked like us standing as an equal to make the future better for everyone,” Dalton writes.
Even so, Nichols’ function on “Star Trek” didn’t insulate her from discrimination, and Dalton conveys how racist therapy, together with harassment on the studio lot and decreased display screen time, led Nichols to determine to depart the present—till she was approached by a really particular fan who satisfied her of the optimistic influence that she and Uhura had been having on the world.
Illustrator Lauren Semmer’s vibrant art work showcases Nichols’ daring sense of fashion, together with her signature earrings. Semmer cleverly incorporates hues reminiscent of the “Star Trek” shade palette to focus on Nichols’ affect on the world round her. This is especially efficient within the last spreads, which depict a gaggle of younger Black women dancing, singing, stargazing and watching “Star Trek” in outfits that recall the Enterprise’s multicolor uniforms.
The e-book’s again matter contains an creator’s notice during which Dalton explains the mark Nichols left on her and her mother and father, in addition to details about a marketing campaign Nichols led on behalf of NASA to recruit “women and minoritized astronaut candidates.” The effort resulted in a file quantity of candidates.
Dalton and Semmer’s e-book is an inspiring learn not just for “Star Trek” followers but additionally for any reader who longs to “boldly go where no one has gone before.”
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