Photo/Illutration Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Ntoya Uhura in the original “Star Trek” television series, poses at the premiere of a new series in Los Angeles in September 2017. (Invision via AP)

There are many examples in the United States of Black people being remembered and honored for being pioneers in their fields.

In Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) immediately comes to mind. On Jackie Robinson Day every year, every player on every team wears No. 42 in honor of the man who broke baseball’s color line.

Others include a boxer who battled racism on his way to becoming a champion and a female mathematician who contributed to space development from behind the scenes.

I recently learned that Nichelle Nichols was an outstanding Black actress from news of her passing at age 89.

She became known for her role of Lt. Nyota Uhura, a communications officer aboard the starship Enterprise in “Star Trek,” the original TV series that started in 1966.

Nichols was a rare presence back when most Black actresses were stereotypically cast in minor roles as maids, according to a CNN report.

However, Nichols did not plan to stay long with the iconic series. She intended to return to the musical stage.

She would have done so, according to a U.S. newspaper, had it not been for Martin Luther King Jr., who urged her to stay, telling her how important her role was in light of the civil rights movement.

For many people, Nichols must have already become their role model and star of hope.

American society is described as a “melting pot” of races, but that is not necessarily accurate.

I have heard it is more correctly a “salad bowl” or “tossed salad” as it is not quite that culturally integrated.

Contemporary American history boils down to an incessant struggle to become more integrated someday.

Come to think of it, the makeup of the Enterprise crew was quite diverse.

Spock was born to a human mother and Vulcan father. Other characters included one of Asian descent and another of Russian origin.

I believe they represented the series creators’ desire to overcome division and discrimination.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 3

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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