Concourse Media will help shop the feature-length documentary ‘Woman In Motion’ about ‘Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols and her pioneering work to recruit men and women of color for NASA, particularly in the 1970s and ’80s. We first reported on the development of this project last year. Among those she helped recruit were Fred Gregory, the first African American space shuttle commander, and Ron McNair, “the second African American in space who perished in the Challenger accident.” Concourse plans to market the film at the upcoming Cannes virtual event, which replaces the normally star-studded Cannes Film Festival which is just one of the many media events worldwide that have been drastically altered due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nichols was a TV trailblazer for her role as Communications Officer Lt. Uhura on the original ‘Star Trek’ and parlayed that role to a position working with NASA, during which she helped recruit “thousands, including the first African American, Asian and Latino men and women to fly in space.” (via Deadline) In addition to those she actively helped recruit, she has been cited as an influence for Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, and Charles Bolden, the first African American NASA administrator.
[‘Woman In Motion’], which played at multiple U.S. festivals late last year and in early 2020, dives into the uphill battle Nichols faced during the recruitment process and how she helped break down cultural and political barriers.
Todd Thompson directed and produced via his Stars North banner. As he stated:
“Woman in Motion is the story of how an artist empowered herself to empower others. It is about an actress who became a breaker of barriers. I am thrilled to share Nichelle’s story. She continues to be an inspiration to so many people around the world.”
Among the individuals that will be featured in the documentary are “Neil deGrasse Tyson, George Takei, Pharrell Williams, Martin Luther King III, Al Sharpton, Vivica A. Fox, Walter Koenig, Rod Roddenberry, Michael Dorn, Guy Bluford, Charles Bolden, Ivor Dawson, Frederik Gregory, and Benjamin Crump.”
You can watch the trailer for ‘Woman In Motion’ below:
Are you looking forward to exploring this lesser-known era of NASA’s history?
