Nichelle Nichols, the beloved actress who played the role of Lieutenant Uhura, the communications officer on the TV series Star Trek, and six of its spinoff films, died on Saturday in Silver City, N.M. She was 89 years old.

Her son Kyle Johnson made the following statement on Nichols’ official website on Sunday:

“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”

When Star Trek premiered in 1966, playing a background role as a domestic worker was the best Black actresses could hope for, but Nichols’ Uhura was a brilliant translator and communications officer whose mastery of linguistics made her an integral part of the star fleet. (Star Trek predated the 1968 sitcom Julia, which featured Diahann Carroll as a nurse and single mom. Carroll would become the first Black woman to lead a network series.)

Black celebrities have long credited Nichols for leading the way in terms of positive representation, particularly Black women. According to a 2018 Whoopi Goldberg interview in Glamour magazine, a nine-year-old Goldberg reportedly exclaimed, “There’s a black lady on television, and she ain’t no maid!” after seeing Nichols aboard the starship Enterprise in the 1960s. “If you look at any of the shows prior to Star Trek, we were not there,” Goldberg said. “[Nichols] was really instrumental in making me believe I could be on TV. So I did grow up having a me.'”

Inspired by Nichols, the two-time Golden Globe winner successfully petitioned to play the character Guinan, a sage bartender who appeared in 29 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, five episodes of Star Trek: Picard, and in two films: Generations and Nemesis.

As beautiful as she was talented, Nichols broke hearts in her signature high boots and short, red one-pieces. Ebony magazine called Nichols the “most heavenly body in Star Trek” on its 1967 cover. Nichols is also widely known for participating in one of the first interracial kisses on US television when her character kissed James T. Kirk, portrayed by William Shatner, during the show’s third and final season. The 91-year-old Shatner paid his respects to his co-star by tweeting:

“I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Nichelle. She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world. I will certainly miss her. Sending my love and condolences to her family. Bill”

Lieutenant Uhura’s presence touched every facet of society, even garnering the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who called the character “the first non-stereotypical role portrayed by a Black woman in television history.” His daughter, Bernice King, echoed her father’s words on Sunday with a moving Twitter tribute that read: “Representation matters. Excellence in representation matters even more. Thank you, #NichelleNichols. Rest well, ancestor.”

In a 2017 Huffington Post article, Nichols recalled the shock she experienced when she met Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s and he confessed: “Star Trek is the only show that my wife, Coretta, and I will allow our little children to stay up late and watch. YOU are their hero.”

Nichols told Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry about the conversation and the sci-fi visionary reportedly said, “God bless Dr. Martin Luther King. Somebody knows what I’m trying to achieve here.”

After Star Trek’s short but cosmically-impactful, three-season run, Nichols dedicated herself to our real-life space program, helping to recruit astronauts Sally Ride, Judith Resnik and Guion Bluford, among others. NASA almost immediately acknowledged this fact through their official Twitter account on Sunday:

“We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek actor, trailblazer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible. She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars.”

George Takei, who portrayed the USS Enterprise’s Hikaru Sulu, also posted a touching tribute to his co-star. “I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise, and who passed today at age 89,” Takei wrote on Twitter. “For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend.” He continued the tweet with a picture of the two and by saying: “We lived long and prospered together.”

Lynda Carter, another trailblazer best known as the star of the live-action television series Wonder Woman, tweeted: “Many actors become stars, but few stars can move a nation. Nichelle Nichols showed us the extraordinary power of Black women and paved the way for a better future for all women in media. Thank you, Nichelle. We will miss you.”

Grace Dell Nichols (later given the nickname Nichelle by her mother) was born in Robbins, Ill., and grew up in Chicago. In addition to her son, she is survived by two sisters, Marian Smothers and Diane Robinson.