William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Nichelle Nichols in the original "Star Trek" TV series. Nichols' portrayal of Lt. Uhura is still considered groundbreaking to this day.
Mandatory Credit: Paramount Television/Kobal/Shutterstock
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Black characters and stories are finally in the sci-fi and horror spotlight. It’s been a long time coming for fans
Science-fiction author N.K. Jemisin loved “The Jetsons” as a child, fantasizing about taking a flying car to school thanks to its space-age vision of the 21st century. But while watching reruns as an adult, she noticed that there was “nobody even slightly brown” and that “even the family android sounds white” in a show meant to envision the future.

