Nichelle Nichols’ Death Highlights Gaps In Emergency Care

As a trailblazing “Star Trek” crew member, actress Nichelle Nichols boldly went where no other Black woman had gone before. But in the end, she was subject to the same Earthly realities as any other older woman of color.

Nichols portrayed communications officer and linguist Lt. Nyota Uhura in the original “Star Trek” TV series that ran from 1966 to 1969. She later reprised the trailblazing role in six feature films and solidified the concept that Blacks indeed would be present in the future.

Nichols died in July 2022 after being taken to a New Mexico emergency room. In June, her estate, led by her son Kyle Johnson, was awarded a $13 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit against Gila Regional Medical Center.

The suit alleged that systemic and clinical negligence caused her passing.

Despite arriving with clear signs of acute heart failure, the court found that the hospital failed to diagnose Nichols properly, lacked essential equipment and specialist consultations, and negligently discharged her to an assisted-living facility unable to monitor her condition. She died six hours later.

The lawsuit also cited broader issues, including negligent hiring, inadequate patient safety policies, poor record-keeping, and a reckless disregard for patient well-being.

Nichols’ estate attorney, Theresa Hacsi, says “this was a terrible ending” for a woman who dedicated her life to making the world a better place.

Despite her early impact on “Star Trek,” Nichols wanted to leave the series after its inaugural season. Her lines were frequently cut, the studio was withholding her fan mail and she faced racist vitriol from viewers unaccustomed to seeing Black characters portrayed as equals.

However, a chance meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at an NAACP fundraiser changed her perspective. Dr. King urged her to stay, emphasizing her portrayal of Lt. Uhura was a historic, nonstereotypical milestone for Black representation that was vital to the Civil Rights Movement.

In assessing damages in the wrongful death suit, the jury found Gila Regional to be 40% at fault and Dr. Tsering Sherpa, who treated Nichols after she was admitted, 60% responsible. Nichols’ estate won’t get the full $13 million of the settlement; New Mexico law limits damages against a government entity to $400,000.

Located in Silver City, New Mexico, Gila Regional is a county-owned, not-for-profit public hospital. Hacsi says Nichols’ death was preventable and she hopes the judgement will serve as a catalyst for the hospital to improve the quality of care for patients. A separate lawsuit against hospital-related contractors is still pending in the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe.

Long before Dr. Mae Jemison, Dr. Bernard Harris Jr. and Victor Glover launched their careers as astronauts or were allowed to even dream such roles were possible, Lt. Uhura soared into pop-culture history. Joining her on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise were a Scottish engineer, a Russian navigator and Lt. Hikaru Sulu, played by Japanese-American actor George Takei (whose mother was a native of Sacramento). Beyond their iconic characters, the original “Star Trek” actors are honored for defying segregation, promoting humanitarian values and inspiring generations of scientists and explorers.

The franchise has long championed diversity, a legacy rooted in creator Gene Rodenberry’s vision. Notable portrayals include Sacramento native LeVar Burton, renowned for “Roots” and “Reading Rainbow,” as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge in “The Next Generation.” This commitment to representation continued with landmark roles like Avery Brooks as Capt. Benjamin Sisko in “Deep Space Nine” — the franchise's first Black lead — and Sonequa Martin-Green’s groundbreaking turn as Cmdr. Michael Burnham in “Star Trek: Discovery.”

“Star Trek” is not reality TV. While the franchise showcased a future where humanity stood as equals, that vision stands in stark contrast to the reality many Black patients face in emergency rooms today. If a cultural icon like Nichols was not spared the consequences of systemic negligence, it underscores the urgent need for a national conversation on accountability and equitable care.

Though she played a space explorer only on screen, Nichols helped make that vision a reality in real life. NASA hired her in 1977 to lead an outreach campaign to bring in women and people of color to become astronauts in its space program. Her efforts led to the history-making participation of trailblazers such as Sally Ride, the first woman in space, and Guion Bluford, the first African American in space, who were in NASA’s class of 1978.

“Nichelle’s advocacy transcended television and transformed NASA,” said then-administrator Bill Nelson after her passing.