I love this picture. I love it so much.
How do I love this picture? Let me count the ways, let me sing of my love.
It's Nichelle Nichols, our own Uhura, in the Oval Office, with the President of the United States!
Oh. My. God.
Okay, my little Trekkie heart can only take so much. I'll try to calm down.
Things I love about this picture:
1. It's the Oval Office. What a great room, filled with power, symbolism, and history.
2. Nichelle looks great. 79 years old, still a hottie, and I'll fight any man who says otherwise.
3. She's wearing a Starfleet necklace. To meet the President. How cool is that?
4. They're obviously happy to meet each other. And why not? After all,
5. He has said that he's a fan of the show and . . .
6. He had a crush on her when he was a younger fan. No really!
Months ago Pres Obama was quoted as saying that he'd had a crush on me when he was younger. I asked about that & he proudly confirmed it!Well, of course he did. What kind of red-blooded American Trekkie male didn't have a crush on Uhura?
— Nichelle Nichols (@RealNichelle) March 1, 2012
7. The Vulcan salute. The President of the United States, giving the Vulcan salute, in the Oval Office.
8. And this is the big one. When Star Trek first aired it was in a different America. It was in an America that had never seen an interracial kiss on it's television before Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek. It was in an America where the sight of an African-American woman as an officer, an equal to other officers, a respected expert and leader, was unusual, and unusually important. You may have heard the story.
And there you are. From Star Trek to Martin Luther King, Jr., to this moment. Take another look at that picture. Do you see a bit of pride in Nichelle's smile? You should. After all, she opened the hailing frequencies.
