Sincerely disheartening news. It might be time to rewatch TOS now. Rest in peace to a true, honest pioneer of science fiction.
She will forever be known as the breaker of barriers for black actors and actresses, none more well known than "the kiss" with William Shatner. It was television's first interracial kiss, and it happened in November 1968.
She was much more than that, of course. Her key role in that cast was also a first for a black woman, and she handled it all with quiet pride.
In the past few years she was taken advantage of financially by someone close to her... I donated to a charity started by her family to help her recover from losses, and I do hope her final years had some optimism in them. As for me, the kiss wasn't the high water mark as a fan; it was the feather boa dance in STV.
No, it wasn't her voice doing the singing, but it was DEFINITELY her doing the exotic dance with the two moons as backdrop... the scene was too short, and she was... simply marvelous.
She was more to me than the breaker of role barriers. She commanded attention without even trying. She was likable. Lovable.
She was Uhura.
God bless and keep Nichelle Nichols, gone at 89.