Jan 31, 2021

Who gave the first interracial kiss on TV?

By Jim Stroud • Issue #86 • View online

Black History Quiz is a weekly celebration of the contributions and achievements of Africans and the descendants of the diaspora in the United States and around the world. PLEASE SHARE this newsletter and help spread the word about a proud people and their cultures. New issues post on Sundays at 7:30 AM EST. www.blackhistoryquiz.com

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Black History Quiz: A Word Find Puzzle Book of Black History Facts and Quotes

Over 250 facts are shared in this volume of word find puzzles that are sure to educate and inspire people of all ages and all over the world. After all, black history is world history.

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Nichelle Nichols

On Nov. 22, 1968, an episode of “Star Trek” titled “Plato’s Stepchildren” broadcast the first interracial kiss on American television.

The episode’s plot is bizarre: Aliens who worship the Greek philosopher Plato use telekinetic powers to force the Enterprise crew to sing, dance and kiss. At one point, the aliens compel Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Captain Kirk (William Shatner) to embrace. Each character tries to resist, but eventually Kirk tilts Uhura back and the two kiss as the aliens lasciviously look on.

The smooch is not a romantic one. But in 1968 to show a black woman kissing a white man was a daring move.

The episode aired just one year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia decision struck down state laws against interracial marriage. At the time, Gallup polls showed that fewer than 20 percent of Americans approved of such relationships.

Q: How did Nichelle Nichols leverage her influence from Star Trek into social activism?

TV's 1st Interracial Kiss

BLACK HISTORY TODAY

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LOVE SEE NO COLOR

In this edition of Maryville Talks Books, author Alexis Clark and host Paul Schankman have a conversation about her remarkable new “stranger than fiction” book, Enemies in Love, which tells the true story of a black nurse and a German Prisoner of War, who fell in love during World War Two, and eventually married. Though their story began more than 70 years ago, it feels very relevant today as America continues to wrestle with issues of racism and hate.

The Unlikely Romance of a Black Nurse and a German P.O.W. in World War II

BHQ ANSWER

Nichelle Nichols leveraged her role on “Star Trek” to become a recruiter for NASA, where she pushed for change in the space program. [Source]

For more study:

TV's first interracial kiss launched a lifelong career in activism

The career arc of Nichelle Nichols – the first black woman to have a continuing co-starring role on TV – shows how diverse casting can have as much of an impact off the screen as it does on it.

theconversation.com • Share

Nichelle Nichols on filming the first interracial kiss on American television

Did you enjoy this issue?

By Jim Stroud

Black History Quiz is a weekly celebration of the contributions and achievements of Africans and the descendants of the diaspora in the United States and around the world. PLEASE SHARE this newsletter and help spread the word about a proud people and their cultures. New issues post on Sundays at 7:30 am EST. | www.blackhistoryquiz.com

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