In 1966, Nichelle Nichols was the first African-American woman to be given a major part in a TV series which did not involve the portrayal of a subservient or highly racially stereotyped character. She played Lt. Uhura, which was a significant role in Star Trek. However, NBC was afraid of angering its southern affiliates if it were to officially sign her on as a regular, so she was hired as a "day worker," even though she appeared in almost every episode. Ironically, this system paid her more than any of the regular actors, who were kept uninformed about this fact. Her high wages were not enough to compensate her for NBC studio officials constantly trying to minimize her part, uttering racial comments in her presence, and withholding her fan mail, and she planned on quitting after the first season. However, she was persuaded not to do so by Dr. Martin Luther King, who pleaded with her not to abdicate her position as the leading positive black role model on television.
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