As enduring as the “Star Trek” franchise is, there are still countless timelines and ships left to explore. The universe was reinvigorated and rebooted a little in 2017 with the debut of its seventh series, “Star Trek: Discovery.” As the series enters its fifth and final season on Paramount+, we’re showing it some love for its diversity, inclusivity and originality. Not only did it give us Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham, the first Black woman to lead a series as a Starfleet captain, it also championed representation with LGBTQ+ characters, beautiful stories of Black love and a captivating expansion of “The Original Series.”
Ahead of the April 4 premiere of Season 5, Martin-Green spoke to The Root about Burnham’s legacy and what she learned from the character.
“I hope that people look to this character, see themselves reach higher, go further, do what they never felt comfortable enough to do or confident enough to do,” Martin-Green told The Root. “For me personally, I learned how to not fight for my value or my worth. When I came into ‘Discovery,’ that’s very much where I was coming from. A lot of internalized racism was in my heart and I felt that I needed to prove that I belonged there, deserve to be there. I learned over the course of ‘Discovery’ that’s not the case. God used it to show me that my value is intrinsic and, and I pray that’s part of the legacy as well. Especially for Black women.”
“Star Trek: Discovery” Season 5 premieres April 4 on Paramount+, with new episodes debuting every Thursday. The streaming service is also home to the entire “Star Trek” Universe.
Lt. Uhura (‘The Original Series’)
Any examination of “Star Trek’s” Black characters must begin and end with Nyoto Uhura. Nichelle Nichols literally changed the course of history, inspiring generations of Black scientists and astronauts.
Benjamin Sisko
What’s great about Capt. Sisko is that he was never afraid to take chances. His chief concern was doing what’s right and protecting people, not following regulations.
Dr. Richard Daystrom
This brilliant scientist is the literal architect of the Federation’s future. He created the computer program that ran all Starfleet’s ships. He made the future possible.
Cleveland “Book” Booker
When Book and Burnham are together on a mission they give off “03 Bonnie & Clyde” vibes. Even when they’re being the good guys, it feels like they’re going rogue.
Raffi Musiker
Michelle Hurd is fantastic at playing complex, authentic characters. In “Picard,” Raffi is a brilliant, badass, compassionate, flawed, fully humanized woman, which makes her fascinating to watch.
Michael Burnham
Capt. Michael Burnham is logical, courageous, loyal, clever and not afraid to occasionally play dirty. Nothing is more important to her than her crew, making her one of the franchise’s best leaders.
Geordi LaForge
A brilliant engineer, Geordi is one “Star Trek’s” rare scientists who’s led more by his heart than his exceptional brains.
Guinan
She’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma that we’ll never really figure out and we love every minute of it. No one else but Whoopi Goldberg could’ve played Guinan.
Travis Mayweather
We never spent enough time with “Enterprise’s” Lt. Mayweather. We knew he was an expert pilot who basically grew up in space, giving him a perspective the rest of the crew would never understand. He’s the kind of character we could definitely see rising through the ranks of Starfleet, but never gives up on the action.
Cadet Uhura
It’s truly captivating to watch “Strange New Worlds’” Celia Rose Gooding take a character like Uhura and effortlessly combine all the familar elements of her origin with brand new stories and developments. She simultaneously honors Uhura’s legacy while also making the character feel new.
Dr. M’Benga
The balance between M’Benga the healer and M’Benga the warrior is fascinating to watch. No offense to Dr. McCoy, but we don’t want to see him leave the Enterprise.
Lily Sloane
“First Contact” is one of the best films in the franchise and big part of that is because of Alfre Woodard. The way she deftly puts Picard in his place while evading the Borg is something every Black woman has had to do to co-worker. Plus you know she really did all the work on Cochrane’s warp flight.
Emory Erickson
As the inventor of the transporter, there would be no “Star Trek” without Emory Erickson. We need whoever is working on this technology in the real world to speed things along, as traffic is out of control.
Neera Ketoul
As Number One’s lawyer in the heartbreaking “Strange New Worlds” episode “Ad Astra per Aspera,” Yetide Badaki is the foundation for one of the franchise’s most unforgettable stories. She brings a regal authority to the courtroom, providing authenticity to the futuristic outing.
Tuvok
Tuvok’s Vulcan logic was always at the forefront, but “Voyager’s” Delta Quadrant setting away from the main universe gave him a chance to showcase the character’s emotional influence from his human friends. He was a relatable Vulcan.
Lt. Uhura (‘Star Trek’ Kelvin Timeline)
Zoë Saldaña made Uhura into a fiercely independent action hero in the new “Star Trek” film trilogy. We always knew that Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura was more than she was allowed to be, so it was thrilling to see this version of the character in the thick of the action.
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