On November 22, 1968, William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols changed television when his white Captain Kirk kissed an African American Lieutenant Uhura.
Before then, people would go crazy if a white person touched a black one. So for the two actors to kiss was a big thing. It was such a big thing that it could have possibly led to Star Trek’s cancellation.
However, Shatner told Bill Maher on Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday that he insisted the kiss happen. Had he not done that, who knows how much longer it would’ve taken for that to have happened?
But we don’t have to worry about that because it happened. So something that is so common today was grounds for cancellation 55 years ago.
We have some so far. And we still have a long way to go. But we will get there. I hope!
