Cultural Influence of Star Trek - Cancellation and Aftermath

Cancellation and Aftermath

After its cancellation, through reruns Star Trek became more popular and reached a much wider audience than when it had originally aired. Known as "trekkies" or "trekkers", the show's fans formed clubs and organized conventions. In 1976, following another fan-organized letter-writing campaign, NASA named its first space shuttle orbiter, Enterprise (OV-101), after the fictional starship.

NASA also employed actress Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura to attempt recruiting African-Americans and women to become astronauts. Nichols considered quitting her role on Star Trek during the second season to pursue a different acting job. She was talked out of this decision by Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., who told her that a show that depicted a black woman working alongside whites in a position of importance helped further the goal of racial equality.

A direct follow-on to Nichelle Nichols' inspiration was actress Whoopi Goldberg, as Nichols' role as Uhura was her inspiration to get into acting. Nichelle Nichols has told in multiple interviews that Goldberg told her that as a child seeing Star Trek for the first time, Ms. Goldberg ran around the house screaming "Hey Mom! Look! There's a black woman on the TV and she ain't no maid!" Ms. Goldberg was eventually to portray the recurring El-Aurian female character Guinan on Star Trek: The Next Generation.