NEW ORLEANS – Nichelle Nichols is the actress who is a star because of her role as Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek.

After just one season, she decided to quit. Nichelle Nichols wanted to pursue her first love, musical theatre.

She told the folks from her show she was done.

But after her conversation with just one person, she decided to stay.

And the rest is TV history as WGNO News with a Twist features guy Wild Bill Wood finds out from Nichelle Nichols at Wizard World Comic Con in New Orleans.

Nichelle Nichols was among the celebrity stars at the New Orleans show.

Fans showed up for autographs and the chance to take a photo with one of the first African American females on an TV show who did not play a typical role, like a housekeeper or a hotel maid.

Her most famous role was as Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek.  The Lieutenant later became a Commander on the show that sailed through space for three primetime TV years.

That was 1966-1969.

So who was it who convinced her to stay on the show and continue her trek through the stars making TV history?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

After the first year, Nichelle Nichols planned to leave the show.  That’s when she met Martin Luther King, Jr.

The civil rights leader told her she needed to change her mind and stay on Star Trek.

He said he was actually a big fan and that her role was vital to encourage Black children across America to aspire to become and do anything their hearts could dream of.