March 25, 2025

Phasers Set To Stun: Woman In Motion

Phasers Set To Stun: Woman In Motion

On "Phasers Set To Stun," we recognize the popularity of all things Star Trek, with a look at television shows, animation, movies, and much more! To celebrate Women's History Month, our crew welcomes A Film By... Podcast cohost, Amber Lewis, to the bridge. Get set for a discussion about an inspirational documentary about Nichelle Nichols, who played a pivotal role in diversifying NASA's astronaut corps with her campaign to recruit women and minorities! Woman In Motion is a must-see for all Trek fans!

For exclusive episodes and content, send some latinum to our Patreon here! You can sign up for a FREE 7-day trial, or sign up for a free membership to get limited access!

Check out www.afilmbypodcast.com/ for more information.
Email us at afilmbypodcast@gmail.com with your questions, comments, and requests.
Find us on X Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @afilmbypodcast.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:01.080 --> 00:00:11.480
Space the Final Frontier. Join us for a bold conversation

2
00:00:12.839 --> 00:00:17.440
our prime directive to recap our favorite Star Trek shows,

3
00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:23.320
both new and old, to engage in debate about all

4
00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:31.960
things Trek. Prepare to energize with Phasers Set to Stunt.

5
00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:42.920
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Phasers Set to Stun.

6
00:00:43.320 --> 00:00:45.880
In this ongoing series from a film by podcast, we

7
00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:48.119
continue to show our love for every quadrant of the

8
00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:52.920
expanding Star Trek universe by covering television, animation, movies, directors,

9
00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:55.399
and much more. Plot in the course, as always, is

10
00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:56.439
your core track crew.

11
00:00:56.560 --> 00:01:02.240
I'm Scott Hoffmann, I'm David Burns and.

12
00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:04.239
And for today's mission, we're also joined by fellow Trek

13
00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:07.560
fan and one of our favorite voices on our favorite podcasts,

14
00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:08.480
Amber Lewis.

15
00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:11.840
Welcome, Ehra, Thank you, it's exciting to be here.

16
00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:13.560
Yes, welcome on board.

17
00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:18.040
In this episode, we're taking a look at an outstanding

18
00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:21.040
Trek focused documentary that goes beyond the fiction and fandom

19
00:01:21.079 --> 00:01:23.680
to talk about the influence and impact of an icon.

20
00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:26.920
We're talking about Woman in Motion, a film about the

21
00:01:26.920 --> 00:01:29.680
life of the legendary Michelle Nichols and the remaking of

22
00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:35.120
NASA released in twenty nineteen, written by Joe Millan, John McCall,

23
00:01:35.560 --> 00:01:39.719
Benjamin Krupp and directed by Todd Thompson. This features a

24
00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:43.000
lot of different perspectives, including Michelle Nichols herself from various

25
00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:46.840
points in time. Alrius, everybody, h let's break this down.

26
00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.200
There's no spoiler alert because if you want to see

27
00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:53.159
this documentary, just go and see it. Dave, why don't

28
00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:54.680
you give us a summary of what this movie.

29
00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:54.920
Is all about?

30
00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:58.760
An inspiring story about Michelle Nichols, who is not only

31
00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:02.319
Lieutenant o' horror culture icon, but also does something that

32
00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:04.760
many are not aware of. It is someone who changed

33
00:02:04.760 --> 00:02:08.479
the space program forever. Michelle takes on the enormous task

34
00:02:08.599 --> 00:02:11.520
to launch a national campaign for NASA to recruit eight

35
00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:14.400
thousand of the best and brightest, becoming someone who leads

36
00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:18.080
the charge to bring women and minorities into the space program.

37
00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:22.479
This film surprised me oh so much, and I'd love

38
00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:25.520
to hear from everybody on that. I knew that I

39
00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:27.319
was going to learn some interesting things, but I had

40
00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:28.879
no idea what I was in for.

41
00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:29.719
Amber.

42
00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:32.039
What was your first reaction to see in this Well?

43
00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:34.080
I had to watch it a couple of times because

44
00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:38.120
my first reaction was how many times I cried throughout it?

45
00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:42.479
It was surprisingly emotional, But just the richness of her

46
00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:45.919
life just you know, her early life was something I

47
00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:49.560
didn't know anything about, so that was fascinating. And then

48
00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:54.159
just seeing someone who found themselves in a position to

49
00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:57.759
have a voice and to use that voice, and who

50
00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.879
wasn't afraid to stand up and say, you know, where

51
00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:03.800
are my people? What are you guys doing? Yeah, was

52
00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:07.680
just just amazing to me. She's just fascinating.

53
00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:08.520
Yeah.

54
00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:11.360
I mean, on the surface, you know, just reading the

55
00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:13.639
box of it, so to speak, it might seem like

56
00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:16.240
it's the life and times of Michelle Nichols and that

57
00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:21.080
she was involved in the NASA Space program. It is

58
00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:24.759
so much more than that, you way, way much more

59
00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:27.280
And I love to your point of the fact that

60
00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:29.759
we get this rich story that tells us so much

61
00:03:29.800 --> 00:03:33.159
more about her. Dave, what was your first reaction?

62
00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:37.360
Well, I didn't know any of this. Surprisingly, as a

63
00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:38.960
big of a star Trek fan I am. I had

64
00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:41.039
no clue that the show had done all of this.

65
00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:44.759
I knew I knew that, you know, going back to

66
00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:46.400
her history and stuff like that, and her you know,

67
00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:47.319
meeting Gene Ron Berry.

68
00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:49.000
I knew a lot of that stuff, and I.

69
00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:50.879
Knew that, you know, she came up with the name Ahura,

70
00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:54.319
But what she did for the NASA program, I guess

71
00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:58.840
I've been on an island somewhere by myself because I

72
00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:02.520
wasn't aware of everything that she did to change that program.

73
00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.919
And I was just enthralled by this, this film, this documentary,

74
00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:09.879
and just like Amber said, how rich her life was.

75
00:04:10.439 --> 00:04:13.560
And one of the things that really struck me hard is.

76
00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:17.240
When how proud her father was of her and said

77
00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:18.800
that you're you're you're going to make a difference in

78
00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:19.160
this world.

79
00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:21.519
You're going to be my actor. And you know, she.

80
00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:23.639
Made that as a child that she wanted to make

81
00:04:23.639 --> 00:04:25.800
a difference in the in the world, and she didn't

82
00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:27.000
think she was going to be able to do that.

83
00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:28.199
But did she ever do it?

84
00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:31.519
And she even convinced that that she did finally realize

85
00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:34.120
that she made a difference, And my god, did she

86
00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:36.120
ever make it, not just in the program, but everything

87
00:04:36.120 --> 00:04:39.160
else that she was for the minorities and women, all

88
00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:39.680
that kind of things.

89
00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.079
It's a fascinating documentary, it really is.

90
00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:43.480
Wayne. What about you?

91
00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:46.920
Well, I did know about it, but of course you know,

92
00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:49.519
we were like really really young when that happens, so

93
00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:51.920
I didn't know about it at the time. But I

94
00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:53.639
think I learned about her in the whole bit with

95
00:04:53.720 --> 00:04:56.000
NASA back in the early ninety or not late nineties.

96
00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:59.560
I believe it was through magazines, but not in the

97
00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:04.439
in depth that this documentary went to. But I love

98
00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:07.480
how it went not only into her background, you know,

99
00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:11.319
her time with Duke Ellington, her acting career, not just

100
00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:15.240
Star Trek, because that's a lot of stuff that I

101
00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:17.680
didn't know that. I mean I only knew through like

102
00:05:17.800 --> 00:05:19.759
little facts that I had seen on the internet, but

103
00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:23.879
to actually hear the voice from her, which brings me

104
00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:26.360
to my Probably the one point that I'm glad about

105
00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:29.040
the most is that I'm glad that they made this

106
00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:33.680
documentary while she was still alive. Yeah, absolutely, yes, so

107
00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:37.600
that she had input and she got to see this,

108
00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:42.120
because seeing her on this documentary was the highlight of it.

109
00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:44.920
I mean, she's such a fascinating one.

110
00:05:45.319 --> 00:05:49.439
Well, I think it's important for women and for black

111
00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:52.600
women to stand up and say these are the things

112
00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:56.079
I did not, you know, not to like kind of

113
00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:59.920
hide behind the modesty that we're all told we're supposed

114
00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:04.279
to to have and the humility and it's bragging and

115
00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:06.199
whatever like. But to stand up and say no, I

116
00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:08.399
did that, she.

117
00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:10.800
Didn't get much recognition. I mean, can any of you

118
00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:14.399
remember hearing or seeing about this. The reason I knew

119
00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:16.720
about it was, and this is very obscure, as back

120
00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:20.040
in the late nineties, I was buying old issues of

121
00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:23.839
Starlog magazine from back the souventies and they had some

122
00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:27.120
ride ups. But other than that, I've not seen anything

123
00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:30.920
until this documentary was starting to be made. So you know,

124
00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.199
it's glad. I'm glad she's able to get that recognition.

125
00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:38.560
Now. Yeah, well we get to see her present day

126
00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:40.800
as of you know, when it was made, obviously, but

127
00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:47.879
it's so seamlessly kind of woven through the different times

128
00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:50.680
in her life when she's kind of reflecting about what

129
00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:52.759
she had done. They did a great job of bulling

130
00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:59.279
forward archive audio, archive video that kind of goes through

131
00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:03.560
her life, her perspective from different points in her life.

132
00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:04.439
But yeah, she was.

133
00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:08.600
She was captivating to listen to when she was talking

134
00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:12.519
about all the things that she had done. And yeah,

135
00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:18.240
it's it's a it's a critical documentary to have even exist. Obviously,

136
00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:21.839
if you're a Star Trek fan, It's it's mind blowing

137
00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:25.800
to see how much of an influence this continues to

138
00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:30.800
have today. But specifically Michelle herself, we already knew she

139
00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:33.360
was incredible, just didn't know to what depth. There were

140
00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:36.199
a lot of interesting things to learn in this one amber.

141
00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:38.240
What were some of the things that stood out to you,

142
00:07:38.360 --> 00:07:40.600
Things that you kind of discovered that you hadn't known before.

143
00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:45.519
I was so young when the Shuttle program began that

144
00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:48.079
it was all about the excitement of the Shuttle program,

145
00:07:48.199 --> 00:07:50.279
and you know, we were getting this new vehicle to

146
00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:53.480
take us into space. So I didn't really know a

147
00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:58.480
lot about the problems that they had recruiting and this

148
00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:02.399
sort of irony that you know, Nachelle Nichols starts talking

149
00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:06.639
to these potential candidates and they were like, they're not

150
00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:10.920
gonna hire us, Like why would we apply because NASA

151
00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:16.600
does not care? And so fighting through that, and you

152
00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:20.199
know the moment when she she told NASA like, if

153
00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:23.360
I go to all this trouble and you only hire

154
00:08:23.399 --> 00:08:25.399
white men like you and I are going to have

155
00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:27.399
a serious problem and it's going to be very public.

156
00:08:28.360 --> 00:08:32.240
Was just fascinating to me that she would stand up

157
00:08:32.279 --> 00:08:35.559
and say that, because that was kind of the attitude,

158
00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:39.000
was like they didn't want minorities, they didn't want women.

159
00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:41.840
And when they turned around and said, hey, listen, we'll

160
00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:44.720
take anybody, you know, they didn't believe them.

161
00:08:45.080 --> 00:08:49.559
It exploded, Yes, like it blossomed into so much more,

162
00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:52.120
like she recruited what it went.

163
00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:55.759
From in eight Yeah, in eight months. I wrote this

164
00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:58.120
down because it just blew me away. In eight months,

165
00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:02.480
NASA had only gotten one thousand, five hundred applications, one

166
00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:07.879
hundred were women, thirty five were minorities. After Michelle Nichols

167
00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:14.000
did her campaign, they had eight thousand applications, one thousand,

168
00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:17.159
six hundred and forty nine were women, over a thousand

169
00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:20.120
were minority. And she did that in four months.

170
00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:22.200
Yea and half the four months.

171
00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:25.360
Yeah, yeah, that's what blew my mind that you know,

172
00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:27.559
it seems like something that would take years and years,

173
00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:30.039
but four months is just amazing what she did well.

174
00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:32.440
And it was her integrity, Like she told NASA, I'm

175
00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:35.320
not going to be your mascot and just stand up

176
00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:37.799
and make a stump speech that you write for me,

177
00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:42.720
like I will do it myself and speak from my truth.

178
00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:44.879
And that's how we're going to do this, if we're

179
00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:45.440
going to do it.

180
00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:48.879
Yeah, that was one of my favorite quotes, Like when

181
00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:51.840
she was talking about that idea of making sure that

182
00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:56.519
it wasn't seen as a gimmick, when she said, oh, no,

183
00:09:56.559 --> 00:09:58.639
not me. They'll laugh at you if you pick me,

184
00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:01.720
and that person's not if they hear you speak for

185
00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:07.639
five minutes. Wow, And it's it's true. Like everything that

186
00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:10.879
she poured into her character, Dave, you mentioned that she

187
00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:14.600
not only named her, but she when she was having

188
00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:18.000
that first reading and wanted to know more about the

189
00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:21.879
character of Spock, assuming that that was you know, is

190
00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:24.799
that a character that I'm reading for? And they said, well, no,

191
00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:27.399
you're reading for somebody else who hasn't been named yet,

192
00:10:27.399 --> 00:10:28.639
her or whatever it is, and she's like, but I

193
00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:31.320
still need to know about Spock. I still need to

194
00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:33.639
know more about this, right. So she was even then

195
00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:36.679
kind of opening up what they would what they would

196
00:10:36.679 --> 00:10:40.879
do with the character and taking so much control over

197
00:10:40.919 --> 00:10:42.919
it and nothing that bled over into the influence that

198
00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:46.759
she had on the on Nasa and the outside world

199
00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:50.519
to help drive this stuff forward. There were some things

200
00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:53.080
that you learned in this So the biggest the biggest.

201
00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:54.919
Thing that I learned that I thought was very fascinating

202
00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:59.360
was her wanting to put in her resignation for Star

203
00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:02.240
Trek because she got tired of the whole Haley Frequencies

204
00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:04.600
open and that that you know, she was, she was

205
00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:07.600
exhausted of it, and that's not why she took that role.

206
00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:09.799
She wanted to be something bigger on that bridge. And

207
00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:12.080
I get it, I truly do. And it was the

208
00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:14.519
whole doctor Martin Luther King's story when they said that

209
00:11:15.080 --> 00:11:17.320
someone you have a guesser who wants to meet you,

210
00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:19.000
and she basically was like, I don't want to meet

211
00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:19.279
your body.

212
00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:20.240
I don't want to see anybody.

213
00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:22.159
And then she she turned to find out who it

214
00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:24.679
was and the fact that he told her that that's

215
00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:26.480
the Star Trek is the only show that he let

216
00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:29.440
his children watch, and well, she said, well, I just,

217
00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:33.399
you know, kind of resigned playing a horror and he

218
00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:35.879
basically stopped her from doing that and and told her

219
00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:39.240
the reasons, you know, you don't understand the effect you're having,

220
00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:43.159
even just being on that bridge and saying those Haleing

221
00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:45.919
frequencies open, the effects you're having on the minorities, on

222
00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:50.159
black people. You don't understand what that's doing. You know,

223
00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:52.840
she went back and decided to stay there, and she

224
00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:53.759
never regretted it.

225
00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:57.759
Well, and to that point, the fact that she instead

226
00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:02.240
of leaving the show, she again even further and said,

227
00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:05.039
look at the influence that I'm having. Look at the

228
00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:10.480
opportunity that this is to so many people, especially the

229
00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:11.720
doctor Martin Luther King Junior.

230
00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:12.039
Right.

231
00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:16.840
I love the writer that said, you know, she may

232
00:12:16.840 --> 00:12:20.120
not be saying a lot, but the minute that Ahura says,

233
00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:23.919
excuse me, captain, like everybody shuts up and listens to

234
00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:26.960
what she has to say, and just that is a

235
00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:27.679
powerful thing.

236
00:12:27.960 --> 00:12:28.639
Absolutely yeah.

237
00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:33.240
Well, and you know it expands that role too of

238
00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:37.679
communications officer, right like it it may have been something

239
00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:41.039
that was written out if it hadn't been for the

240
00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:42.639
way that she approached it and the way that she

241
00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:44.759
dug into what it could do. And we're seeing that

242
00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:48.159
impact today with one of our favorite characters on Strange

243
00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:52.879
New Worlds. He continues to be exceedingly important. I love

244
00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:55.960
the fact that in that meeting we learned not only

245
00:12:56.039 --> 00:12:58.799
how much of that, how much doctor King knew that

246
00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:04.000
it was important to people in general into moving diversity

247
00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:08.759
forward and getting people into the program that needed to

248
00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:13.200
be there, but also you know, giving people the confidence

249
00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:15.159
and the voice to say like I can be seen,

250
00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:18.720
I can be heard, and I have a place. But

251
00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:21.080
it's also so important to his family. Like I thought

252
00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:24.279
it was interesting how we heard from was it his son, Yes,

253
00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:26.840
that had said we didn't really have a lot of

254
00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:30.480
time with them, but TV times Star Trek was important,

255
00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:34.559
and it's like, that's deeply personal, and I could just

256
00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:36.799
imagine like the way that she talked about that and

257
00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:38.960
said like he kind of stopped and froze and got

258
00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:41.360
very serious and he was like, wait a second, You've

259
00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:45.000
got to stay on board. That's give me goosebumps. But yeah,

260
00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:45.600
I love that.

261
00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:46.240
Well.

262
00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:48.759
A lot of the stories, the Star Trek stories are

263
00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:51.759
are pretty much common knowledge to anyone that's followed her

264
00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:55.879
and known from her toxic conventions and stuff. But what

265
00:13:56.159 --> 00:14:01.480
I learned, what I found most interesting, was know Michelle

266
00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:06.039
Nichols herself and how much of a strong personality she has.

267
00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:09.840
Her impact on the Space Shuttle program was just huge,

268
00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:12.559
and it's it's a lot due to what type of

269
00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:17.360
woman she is. You know, she she's not just an actress.

270
00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:21.080
You know, she's She's got a lot of strength to

271
00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:25.000
her personality and I'm certain that's why they chose her.

272
00:14:25.159 --> 00:14:27.000
And just listening to her talk.

273
00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:31.759
About everything that she did, you know, everything that she

274
00:14:31.879 --> 00:14:36.000
required uh NASA to to give her for this, it's

275
00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:39.440
just absolutely amazing. I mean, she dedicated herself to the cause.

276
00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:42.120
She gave up her career. It put it completely on

277
00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:46.519
pause right then. You know, she she even successfully piloted

278
00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:49.120
the space of the shuttle simulator. You know, she she

279
00:14:49.159 --> 00:14:52.399
didn't want to just be a spokesperson, you know, a

280
00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:55.799
figurehead and you know, an actress that's that's just you know,

281
00:14:56.440 --> 00:15:01.440
being there there their model. She wanted to actually be

282
00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:05.559
involved in it and find out exactly what you know,

283
00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:09.000
was needed, what was being asked. I just I just

284
00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:12.480
love that story and I love her. I mean, just

285
00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:16.360
listening to her is a highlight of this documentary that

286
00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:20.200
any Star Trek fan should watch this for.

287
00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:24.480
Yeah, I mean, like, it's interesting you mentioned her putting

288
00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:27.320
her career on pause. She had aspirations of being a

289
00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:31.240
dancer and a singer, and she was no slouch with

290
00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:34.559
that because she was performing with Duke Ellington and even

291
00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:37.559
from then knew that she wanted to be in control

292
00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:40.039
of who she was going to be and not letting

293
00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:42.320
anybody else tell her what that was going to be.

294
00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:48.960
That's that blows me away. And hearing her sing is phenomenal.

295
00:15:49.080 --> 00:15:53.320
Oh but a voice that was amazing, Yes, oh god.

296
00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:56.000
And I love how when she was looking to leave

297
00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:59.360
Star Trek, you know, you don't realize she of course

298
00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:01.519
didn't realize what she was in when she was in it,

299
00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:04.639
and it was like, this was a job, it was

300
00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.679
no longer a fulfilling job. I'm gonna go find another job,

301
00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:12.919
as you know performers do. And she was like fine

302
00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:16.000
with that and had so many other.

303
00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:18.840
Things she could have done. M Yeah, well I didn't

304
00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:21.080
even know that she had her own company called Women

305
00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:24.840
in Motion, I know, and that that was an essential

306
00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:26.799
part of her involvement with NASA, was to say, like,

307
00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:29.240
I'm going to do it under my company, and I'm

308
00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:31.000
going to have some control on the influence. I'm not

309
00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:32.600
going to be somebody who just gets up and speaks

310
00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:34.440
for you. I'm not going to be a prop That

311
00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:37.480
really really surprised me. It was great to hear.

312
00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:39.279
One Thing's for sure.

313
00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:41.799
If you don't know this story and you watched this documentary,

314
00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:43.600
for the first time like I did, but I still

315
00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.799
always appreciated the character Horror and Michelle Nicholas what she's done.

316
00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:48.799
But you will not look at a Horror differently. You

317
00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:52.080
will look at Horror differently going forward. You'll see how

318
00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:55.080
strong she is, how powerful she is in the place

319
00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:57.840
that she has on that bridge, and you will look

320
00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:02.360
at her like, Okay, you belong there. I would like

321
00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.839
to have seen her be a captain overship now after

322
00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:06.960
the documentary, for sure.

323
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:07.920
What about question?

324
00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:12.440
Yes, oh god, that's a missed opportunity. Yes, And let's

325
00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:14.240
talk about some moments that surprised us.

326
00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:15.519
What were some that.

327
00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:16.000
Stood out to you.

328
00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:20.759
I think the one thing that just really kind of

329
00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:24.039
blew me away was kind of jumping ahead to the

330
00:17:24.279 --> 00:17:29.079
end where they showed the pictures of like, this is

331
00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:32.599
what the world was like when she started, and this

332
00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:35.079
is what the world is like now. And it's a

333
00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:40.039
very simple way to end the documentary, but it was

334
00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:43.759
just beautiful. You know, they didn't talk about it a lot,

335
00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:47.119
but they talked about you know, when she first started

336
00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:50.279
her career in Chicago. You know, she went to this

337
00:17:50.359 --> 00:17:54.200
specific hotel as a performer because that was one of

338
00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:57.680
the few places that black people could perform or they

339
00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:00.200
would let you in, you know, and even when she

340
00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:03.039
was on Star Trek, it was still, Yeah, the country

341
00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:07.839
was still incredibly segregated, and you know, just seeing where

342
00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:11.799
that started and then the imagery of you know, the

343
00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:16.440
progression socially was beautiful and that and now you know

344
00:18:16.599 --> 00:18:19.720
the hands she had in that, Yeah.

345
00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:23.319
It's so much of a direct direct connection, right, Like

346
00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:27.920
she was board of directors what was it, board of

347
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:32.039
directors in the National Space Institute, YEP, got so many

348
00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:35.519
different honors for what she had done. And hearing the

349
00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:39.960
voices from so many people that are not only leaders

350
00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:45.279
in the space program, but people who started because she

351
00:18:45.559 --> 00:18:49.839
opened that door. I love how many different people we

352
00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:52.839
heard from in this documentary. I think it's great that

353
00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.759
we heard from Walter Knig and Michael Dorn, George Takai

354
00:18:57.039 --> 00:18:58.960
and so many different people connected with the Star Trek,

355
00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:02.920
but also so many different astronauts and leaders of programs

356
00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:07.000
that are continuing to keep the program moving forward.

357
00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:08.480
Dave, what about you?

358
00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:11.279
So mine's kind of a twofold here, and it's going

359
00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:13.519
to lead into me the moment of what hit hard

360
00:19:13.640 --> 00:19:15.279
for this. So when we get to that question. You

361
00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:17.880
already going to know what I'm going to say this.

362
00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:21.279
This documentary really put a lot of things into perspective

363
00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:24.519
for me, for the Space program in general, but for

364
00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:28.359
Nichelle's involvement in all of it, the friends that she

365
00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:33.039
made working, you know, for NASA, and not only what

366
00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:35.400
she did, but you know her. I didn't make the

367
00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:39.640
connection when she was talking about how she became good

368
00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.720
friends with Judy Residentt, and I didn't make the connection

369
00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:47.599
yet that Judy was on the Challenger. And when I

370
00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:49.680
got to that part of the Challenger, I knew. I

371
00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:53.200
knew it was coming, and I was bracing myself, getting

372
00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:56.440
ready for it, because you know, to this day, and

373
00:19:56.440 --> 00:19:57.920
I'm sure a lot of us can remember where we

374
00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:00.240
were when this happened. I was in the line a

375
00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:02.440
middle school. I know exactly where what I was doing

376
00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:05.599
when this occurred. And when we got to this point,

377
00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:09.559
I knew I was gonna start getting upset. And then

378
00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:12.359
when Nachelle starts talking about and she had to stop

379
00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:14.359
and she said, I don't know if I can do this,

380
00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:16.960
and then she proceeded on to talk a little bit

381
00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:21.400
more about it and then losing Judy on the Challenger,

382
00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:25.039
and then She basically had to stop the interview because

383
00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:29.480
she was just so emotionally upset that I lost it.

384
00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:31.359
To when she started crying.

385
00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:34.720
I started crying because the effect that not only had

386
00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:36.839
on her, but the effect it had all of us

387
00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:39.519
at that time and still to this date, it does.

388
00:20:40.200 --> 00:20:44.559
Yeah, Yeah, it's gonna be kind of hard to talk

389
00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:48.039
about this. And I was in was it fourth or

390
00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:51.200
fifth grade? I think it's fourth grade, Yeah, fourth grade.

391
00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:53.920
Remember sitting in the classroom and seeing that. We've talked

392
00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:59.759
about this in several different moments throughout the Phases podcast,

393
00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:04.359
but this one puts a really unique perspective on that

394
00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:07.440
because growing up I didn't know a lot of the

395
00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:11.839
other astronauts. I was aware of the teacher going up

396
00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:15.440
into space, but the backstory of so many others. The

397
00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:17.559
we could just get right into it, because I'm sure

398
00:21:17.559 --> 00:21:21.599
it won't Yeah, sure it's going to bleed together emotionally.

399
00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:24.200
This is kind of a similar kind of thing. But

400
00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:27.359
earlier in the documentary when she sees all of those

401
00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:32.880
recruits on the stage with equal footing and she said,

402
00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:37.000
these are my children. We didn't talk about things. I'm

403
00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:37.759
gonna take a minute.

404
00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:38.640
Good.

405
00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:42.519
Yeah, when you see them first walk into the shuttle

406
00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:46.119
Bay as like the new Recruits, and it's just a

407
00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:50.640
general shot of the group and they focus, you know,

408
00:21:50.680 --> 00:21:55.079
on different people, and you see Judie Resnick standing there,

409
00:21:55.119 --> 00:22:01.240
and you see Ellison on Azuka standing there, and Ron

410
00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:05.319
McNair and they're all there and you know what's coming.

411
00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:10.960
And I mean I started crying watching this documentary. The

412
00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:13.119
doctor Martin Luther King's story was not a story that

413
00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:15.240
I knew, So when I was listening to that, I

414
00:22:16.279 --> 00:22:20.079
fell apart. And then I pulled it together.

415
00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:21.720
You know, and then.

416
00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:26.079
Like the minute we started into this section, you know,

417
00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:29.079
I started crying and I didn't stop until the end

418
00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:33.359
of the documentary because it was just so powerful. And

419
00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:35.920
my son walked in and he was like, you know,

420
00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:37.960
I never really got it, but this was kind of

421
00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:41.359
your generation's nine to eleven, Like this isn't something you

422
00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:43.599
ever get over, true.

423
00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:44.119
And I said no.

424
00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:46.599
He's like, I'm not joking that, I'm being serious, and

425
00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:50.000
I said, no, it's it's not something you ever get over.

426
00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:54.880
Being twelve years old and you know, living this for

427
00:22:54.920 --> 00:22:57.960
so many months and there was so much excitement and

428
00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:04.559
then watching you know, it unfold and seeing her connection

429
00:23:04.680 --> 00:23:06.880
to it, you know, like you were saying, Scott was

430
00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:09.559
just it was just devastating.

431
00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:13.279
Yeah, saying that, It's like seeing her children up on stage, right,

432
00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:15.319
and then you go to that tragedy.

433
00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:18.359
I mean, can you imagine if you're responsible for recruiting

434
00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:22.400
people and getting them into those positions, something that was

435
00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:24.279
so hard to do because and now they didn't want

436
00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:26.759
anything to do with it until you come along and

437
00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:29.880
you make that difference, You challenge them, and you get

438
00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:32.960
those people in there, and then some of them.

439
00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:33.960
Lose their lives.

440
00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:39.039
Can you imagine emotionally think about that, how you would

441
00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:43.480
react when something like that happened. I just can't imagine it.

442
00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:46.160
And for her to break down like she did there,

443
00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:49.759
I understand. I mean so many years you know that

444
00:23:49.799 --> 00:23:53.039
happened in eighty six, right, yeah, happened in eighty six.

445
00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:56.039
You know you look back and I mean this document

446
00:23:56.200 --> 00:23:58.559
is done in twenty twenty one, if I remember correctly,

447
00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:03.559
nineteen with twenty nineteen, nineteen, okay, twenty nineteen, So I mean, look,

448
00:24:03.559 --> 00:24:05.920
how many years have passed. But that doesn't leave you

449
00:24:06.599 --> 00:24:09.359
at ever. You know, you know people tell you, you know,

450
00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:12.799
it gets better when you lose people, but no, it

451
00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:15.599
really doesn't. It just you learn to live with it.

452
00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:19.799
But when you start talking about it and remembering those

453
00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:22.079
times you have with those people when you were responsible

454
00:24:22.119 --> 00:24:25.000
for having them in those positions, you've got to relive

455
00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:28.039
it again. So for instance, seeing the show break up

456
00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:29.680
like that, I get it.

457
00:24:30.519 --> 00:24:34.359
Yeah, well, and she had such a strong connection to

458
00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:39.400
every one of those lives that she touched. Yeah, And

459
00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:42.440
the next segment where it shows kind of moving forward

460
00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:46.039
from that and the struggles to do so but the

461
00:24:46.039 --> 00:24:49.000
need to keep pushing forward, and how much of an

462
00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:53.799
influence she continued to have on that is amazing. Like

463
00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:58.000
thinking about at the time, which movie was coming out, right,

464
00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:00.559
all this time around.

465
00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:04.720
Four they dedicated at the beginning to the crew, and

466
00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:07.200
so yeah, you get that gut four is like, for

467
00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:09.559
a long time was my favorite, but you get that

468
00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:14.359
gut punch it starts. We already gotten into the credits yet, right.

469
00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:19.119
But just thinking about that moment in canon and how

470
00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:22.720
much more she continued to do with the franchise and

471
00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:25.559
how much more she was doing with the program. She

472
00:25:25.799 --> 00:25:28.079
was very busy, to say the least.

473
00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:33.000
But the beauty of you know, hearing Dick Scobie's daughters

474
00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:38.440
talk about you know, her mom saying to Vice President Bush, like,

475
00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:42.519
don't let this end the program, like it has to

476
00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:45.680
go on, and then seeing that moment when Discovery launched

477
00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:47.559
was just beautiful.

478
00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:48.519
Yeah.

479
00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:49.200
Yeah.

480
00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:54.920
When were some other moments that surprised you or hitch

481
00:25:54.920 --> 00:25:58.400
you kind of heart emotionally for in a positive way

482
00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:00.359
or in a you know, a gut punch.

483
00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:04.839
Well, yeah, I mean, I've my experience was very similar

484
00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:08.599
to David's, and that part of the document was probably

485
00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:11.519
the hardest to watch for me, because you know, I

486
00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:14.119
have such vivid memories too. I was in the library

487
00:26:14.200 --> 00:26:16.720
at Study Hall at the time when when it happened,

488
00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:20.359
and it was such a huge event, historical event that

489
00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:22.119
happened on I mean, everybody had their TV's on at

490
00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:25.759
the top every school, so we all saw it, and

491
00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:30.039
I remember clearly, you know, watching it and hearing her

492
00:26:30.119 --> 00:26:33.720
talk about it. Hearing anyone talk is rough because it

493
00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:35.839
brings back a lot of a lot of shock memories

494
00:26:35.880 --> 00:26:40.680
to me. But so I I'm glad that they included

495
00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:42.119
this in there, because I wasn't sure if they would.

496
00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:46.279
I wasn't really sure, But I'm glad that they included

497
00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:50.759
this in here because it's it's important in the history

498
00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:53.960
of space travel, in the history of NASA, it's important

499
00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:56.319
to include in the history of Michelle Nichols.

500
00:26:56.400 --> 00:26:57.039
Very important.

501
00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:01.720
But you know, one of the another thing besides that too,

502
00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:08.000
the wealth of footage and behind the scenes clips that

503
00:27:08.039 --> 00:27:12.519
they had in this documentary was incredibly impressive. Yes, I'm

504
00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:14.920
so glad sim documentaries. You know, I wasn't sure if

505
00:27:14.920 --> 00:27:17.240
they'd have access to all this. You know, you have

506
00:27:17.319 --> 00:27:18.920
all the rights and stuff that you'd have to get,

507
00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:21.759
but they got it and it you know, the more

508
00:27:21.799 --> 00:27:24.480
you put of that, the better your documentary is. And

509
00:27:24.599 --> 00:27:28.119
you know, the photos of her early year clips from

510
00:27:28.200 --> 00:27:30.400
the TV show that she did, The Lieutenants. That's a

511
00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:32.519
series that I've always heard of, but I've never seen

512
00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:35.160
any episodes. I've always wanted to, and seeing her on

513
00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:38.720
that those clips was was fantastic. You know, the Star

514
00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:43.519
Trek footage and then all that priceless film and photos

515
00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:47.359
and the nice little the little real that they did

516
00:27:47.400 --> 00:27:50.240
with her back in the seventies from NASA. I loved

517
00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:53.400
seeing that stuff and I'm so glad that they were

518
00:27:53.440 --> 00:27:56.000
allowed to include that in there because it really enriches

519
00:27:56.039 --> 00:27:59.640
this documentary and and helps you understand Michelle Nichols in

520
00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:00.480
a new life.

521
00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:05.000
Yeah, it took me way way way back. I mean

522
00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:07.480
before I was born, way back. But to see her

523
00:28:08.400 --> 00:28:12.119
with that footage and to see early days of her

524
00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:15.880
at places like conventions, back when they were even starting

525
00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:19.440
the conventions we've been to tons right, And do.

526
00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:21.519
You like some of the first ones was weird, yes.

527
00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:27.160
Yes, yes. But the fact that that kind of intersects

528
00:28:27.240 --> 00:28:30.759
with her meeting the director of Science at NASA in

529
00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:34.599
nineteen seventy five at a Star Trek convention as a

530
00:28:34.599 --> 00:28:36.920
moment that kind of sets her future in NASA in

531
00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:40.319
motion was awesome to see And I had no idea

532
00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:41.319
there's that kind of connection.

533
00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:44.079
Yeah, you know, David, you know, you and I have

534
00:28:44.200 --> 00:28:46.359
been to so many different Star Trek conventions and we've

535
00:28:46.359 --> 00:28:48.640
always heard these stories. You know, the people will come

536
00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:50.839
up and say, you know, oh you affected my life

537
00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:53.000
so much, you know, you help me do this.

538
00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:55.079
We've heard the stories of where people would.

539
00:28:54.920 --> 00:28:57.799
Come up to like Diforce, Kelly or or you know,

540
00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:59.599
any of them say, you know, I became a doctor

541
00:28:59.640 --> 00:29:02.440
because I watched you on Star Trek, or became you know,

542
00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:05.519
an astronaut or an engineer because I watched you know,

543
00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:10.880
James Dowing and and but here we all those people

544
00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:14.839
can say, you know, I became astronauts, I became part

545
00:29:14.839 --> 00:29:18.720
of the Space Shuttle program because of Michelle Nichols, you know,

546
00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:21.480
and here we actually get to see the footage, see

547
00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:24.000
the impact, rather than just just hear these little stories

548
00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:27.039
that we hear at the conventions. You know, they're not

549
00:29:27.160 --> 00:29:30.839
just actors. You know, when you join Star Trek, you

550
00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:33.880
go from just being an actor and you become part

551
00:29:34.039 --> 00:29:37.799
of the culture. And I know a lot of these

552
00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:39.559
realize a lot of people realize that some of them

553
00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:41.359
don't realize it when they become it. Some of the

554
00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:43.960
times it gets it scares them. But now you know,

555
00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:46.839
here here is this document was a great example of

556
00:29:46.920 --> 00:29:51.400
how you know, she really affected a lot of people's lives.

557
00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:54.759
It really puts things into perspective, doesn't it. Because you're right, Wayne,

558
00:29:54.759 --> 00:29:59.039
I remember how many conversations we heard of that very situation.

559
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:01.839
But I I think even Nachelle was kind of you

560
00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:03.519
know when they asked her to do this, because she

561
00:30:03.640 --> 00:30:06.960
kind of felt at first that a horror wasn't really

562
00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:10.079
you know, big enough. You know, I don't know if

563
00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:12.319
big enough would be the right thing to say here,

564
00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:14.640
But I don't think she felt like, why were they

565
00:30:14.680 --> 00:30:16.400
why were they coming for her, you know, to help

566
00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:18.720
with this, until she realized what they were doing, and

567
00:30:18.759 --> 00:30:21.480
then she realized they're putting her into position to really

568
00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:25.079
use this to her advantage. So when you look at

569
00:30:25.079 --> 00:30:28.720
that whole perspective, you're right, it really does make it

570
00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:30.079
very eye opening, is what it is.

571
00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:32.759
Well, we didn't live through that part, you know. Back then,

572
00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:35.359
you know, let me say, early seventies or so, Star

573
00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:37.680
Trek was just a TV show, yep, and you know,

574
00:30:37.880 --> 00:30:39.519
all of them thought it was just a TV show

575
00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:40.640
as a job that they did for.

576
00:30:40.599 --> 00:30:41.559
Three years and left.

577
00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:45.039
And around that time, what was it, early seventy four,

578
00:30:45.079 --> 00:30:47.079
seventy five, whenever they showed that convention appearance. That was

579
00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:50.359
the beginning of the Star Trek phenomenon, which we, you know,

580
00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:51.440
we were too young to remember.

581
00:30:51.440 --> 00:30:53.359
Although we did remember the Star Wars one, you don't

582
00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:54.559
remember the Star Trek.

583
00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:55.200
You know.

584
00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:57.720
And seeing that footage was great because you know, there

585
00:30:57.720 --> 00:30:59.680
are a lot of people that remember that.

586
00:31:00.400 --> 00:31:02.400
You know, it's it's just fantastic to watch.

587
00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:06.319
Well, and to your point, with her influence from being

588
00:31:06.359 --> 00:31:11.079
on the show. You know, May Jamison talks about watching

589
00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:16.240
Uhura and being like inspired you know by that. We

590
00:31:16.519 --> 00:31:18.799
over at Docking Bay, we did an episode on the

591
00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:23.119
movie Hidden Figures, and she talked about May Jemison talked

592
00:31:23.160 --> 00:31:25.240
about the book and talked about the movie and said

593
00:31:26.119 --> 00:31:29.200
how much different her life would have been if that

594
00:31:29.319 --> 00:31:32.079
had existed when she was a child, if she had

595
00:31:32.160 --> 00:31:35.400
known about Catherine Johnson when she was a child, and

596
00:31:35.559 --> 00:31:39.599
that representation being important. So she didn't have the real figure,

597
00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:43.759
but she had Ahura to inspire her, you know, which

598
00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:47.720
is just they go hand in hand. That's just such

599
00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:48.480
a beautiful thing.

600
00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:49.200
Yeah.

601
00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:53.880
Well, and like I said, so many times when people

602
00:31:53.880 --> 00:31:56.559
will say you had this impact on me, you had

603
00:31:56.559 --> 00:31:59.640
that m picked on me, and they different people kind

604
00:31:59.640 --> 00:32:02.240
of respond that in different ways. That there is one moment,

605
00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:04.920
I forget the name of the person that was talking about.

606
00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:09.880
Somebody had said I heard Michelle Nichols talking on TV

607
00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:13.759
saying you can be part of this program, You're a

608
00:32:13.799 --> 00:32:16.079
part of this and he is like, I know that

609
00:32:16.079 --> 00:32:18.640
everybody thinks that they were talking to them, but she

610
00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:19.480
was really talking to me.

611
00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:20.319
She was talking to me.

612
00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:26.960
There's so much of that. I think Trek has an interesting,

613
00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:34.720
unique legacy in the world in the US for having

614
00:32:34.880 --> 00:32:38.640
so much history and so many different people kind of

615
00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:42.920
relate to somebody who's coming on new to trek to

616
00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:47.279
somebody who has been through it for so long, letting

617
00:32:47.319 --> 00:32:48.960
them know how much of an influence and how much

618
00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:53.799
of reach this kind of this series, this franchise can

619
00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:58.839
have on somebody's life. Like it's not just an interesting

620
00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:01.079
show or an interesting story that you follow. It's giving

621
00:33:01.079 --> 00:33:04.799
somebody an opportunity to see themselves in more than they

622
00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:07.599
are or more than they think they can be at

623
00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:11.720
the time, and using that to move them forward. That's

624
00:33:12.519 --> 00:33:14.680
the crux of this documentary that I think is just

625
00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:18.640
so beautiful as you're seeing that directly in action, Like

626
00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:22.079
aspects of the Space program would not be there if

627
00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:26.440
not for a communications officer who thought she was going

628
00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:29.000
to quit at some point, but decided to move it

629
00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:31.599
so much and turned it into so much more. I

630
00:33:31.640 --> 00:33:35.079
think it's amazing. All Right, Well, we've talked a lot

631
00:33:35.119 --> 00:33:37.960
about the amazing things that we learned, the things that

632
00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:40.839
we loved in this documentary. Let's take a equimick break

633
00:33:41.119 --> 00:33:43.759
when we come back. Let's talk about why we think

634
00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:49.920
fans should not miss Woman in Motion. All right, we're back.

635
00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:52.519
We've hit on this a lot in everything that we've

636
00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:55.400
been saying, but let's start to talk about if we

637
00:33:55.519 --> 00:33:58.880
had to convince a fan for whatever reason that didn't

638
00:33:58.920 --> 00:34:01.240
know that they should watch this, why would a fan

639
00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:04.559
love to see this documentary? Andy, We're I'll go to

640
00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:05.000
your first.

641
00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:09.519
For me, I think it comes down to there's a

642
00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:13.920
lot of ways in which people want to be supportive

643
00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:20.360
and don't really know how. So, like, it's Women's History Month,

644
00:34:20.559 --> 00:34:24.880
and you know, I would love to support women's history,

645
00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:27.119
but I don't really know anything about it. Well, it

646
00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:32.119
starts with learn as much as you can about someone

647
00:34:32.159 --> 00:34:35.760
you're a fan of, you know, and you'll be surprised

648
00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:39.719
at what they contributed to the world. So you're a

649
00:34:39.760 --> 00:34:43.079
Star Trek fan. You think you know about Michelle Nichols

650
00:34:43.280 --> 00:34:49.159
and her contribution because she was the first African American

651
00:34:49.199 --> 00:34:53.840
female to be featured on a television program. But there's

652
00:34:53.960 --> 00:34:57.440
so much more. Her story is so much richer, And

653
00:34:57.480 --> 00:35:01.199
the more you learn you know, the more inspired you are.

654
00:35:01.239 --> 00:35:03.400
And then that leads you to, well, who is this

655
00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:06.719
woman you know, Judy Resnick that she's talking about, who

656
00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:09.639
is you know Sally Ride. I know she was the

657
00:35:09.639 --> 00:35:11.480
first woman in space, but I don't know anything else

658
00:35:11.480 --> 00:35:14.960
about her, you know, and that it just opens up

659
00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:17.639
so many other doors you can just go down this

660
00:35:17.719 --> 00:35:19.119
great rabbit hole.

661
00:35:20.679 --> 00:35:24.679
Yeah, it's one that I want to. I mean, I

662
00:35:24.719 --> 00:35:27.360
watched it on my own because you know, I wanted

663
00:35:27.360 --> 00:35:29.360
to get ready for the show and wanted to be

664
00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:33.400
able to, you know, chat with everybody about it. But

665
00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:35.440
as soon as I finished, I was like, I really

666
00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:38.440
need to watch this with my with my sons, with

667
00:35:38.440 --> 00:35:41.960
my wife, Like they would love to see this documentary.

668
00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:44.159
They don't all have the same connection to or her

669
00:35:44.320 --> 00:35:47.599
that I do, but I think it's possible they would

670
00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:51.119
when they see when they kind of get it. You know,

671
00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:54.880
there's some sometimes when it's kind of like you've got

672
00:35:55.199 --> 00:35:57.960
fans with family who aren't necessarily fans or the im

673
00:35:58.039 --> 00:36:01.599
into it as much as we are. This is absolutely

674
00:36:01.679 --> 00:36:03.480
a story that you'd want to share with them to

675
00:36:03.559 --> 00:36:09.159
say what it means. I think this documentary gets it. Dave,

676
00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:09.719
what about you?

677
00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:12.760
Well, I kind of mentioned it earlier, like I didn't

678
00:36:12.800 --> 00:36:15.199
know anything about this until I watched this documentary. And

679
00:36:15.199 --> 00:36:17.880
how are you going to learn if you don't you know,

680
00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:19.960
take the time to watch something like this and learn

681
00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:23.760
about these people and to learn about Michelle and what

682
00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:29.079
she accomplished in itself is just absolutely amazing. And like

683
00:36:29.159 --> 00:36:31.000
I said, I am never ever going to look at

684
00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:34.039
a horror again the same I'm not because I see

685
00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:37.199
her as this powerful woman who is on this bridge

686
00:36:37.239 --> 00:36:38.599
as for communications.

687
00:36:38.599 --> 00:36:40.360
But everyone looks to her.

688
00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:42.840
Because she is a strong Black woman.

689
00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:44.840
Who deserves to be where she is.

690
00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:48.880
And I'm so glad that she stayed, and everybody is

691
00:36:49.199 --> 00:36:52.239
glad that she stayed because she made such a difference

692
00:36:52.920 --> 00:36:55.840
in everything that she did, the accomplishment she had with NASA,

693
00:36:56.519 --> 00:36:59.280
with the minority groups, with women, everything has just been

694
00:37:00.360 --> 00:37:05.039
enthralling to learn. And this documented itself just blew my

695
00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:09.840
mind away. But let's be willing to make that change.

696
00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:12.239
That's what she's teaching us, you know, to be someone

697
00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:15.360
that makes a difference, even if you think it's silly

698
00:37:15.480 --> 00:37:18.760
and insignificant, because one day that may become something that

699
00:37:18.920 --> 00:37:20.320
is significant and huge.

700
00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:21.360
You don't know.

701
00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:23.920
You know, if you see a kid who says something

702
00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:27.400
like that, you know, encourage them, you know, show them

703
00:37:27.480 --> 00:37:29.960
something like this to say, hey, she had a dream

704
00:37:29.960 --> 00:37:33.159
when she was a kid, and look what she freaking did.

705
00:37:34.039 --> 00:37:36.639
This documentary should be seen by anybody who loves Star Trek.

706
00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:39.119
Yeah, I think it gives you a whole new perspective

707
00:37:39.159 --> 00:37:43.320
on Michelle Nichols and the character of Ahura. I mean

708
00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:44.920
it changes the way I'm going to look at her

709
00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:49.880
portrayal of a heah but the character again on strange

710
00:37:49.880 --> 00:37:53.440
New Worlds that I think is echoing and continuing what

711
00:37:53.599 --> 00:37:56.400
Michelle had started, not only with that character, but with

712
00:37:56.480 --> 00:37:57.239
the series.

713
00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:58.760
And what it can do, the potential for it.

714
00:37:58.800 --> 00:38:00.280
I love it.

715
00:38:00.280 --> 00:38:02.960
It's not gonna take much to convince any Star Trek

716
00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:05.880
fan to watch us. You know, it's got Michelle Nichols.

717
00:38:05.880 --> 00:38:11.880
It's partially about Star Trek. They're gonna watch this, But

718
00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:17.280
this documentary goes beyond that. It's really it's so informative

719
00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:21.880
and people who have no connection to Star Trek should

720
00:38:21.960 --> 00:38:25.400
really sit down and watch this because, you know, Michelle

721
00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:30.599
Nichols is a phenomenal lady that has done so much

722
00:38:30.719 --> 00:38:33.599
for not only Star Trek fans, but for you know

723
00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:38.360
the world. It's itself, and and you know it's I

724
00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:40.760
wish I had a chance to meet her. You know,

725
00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:44.199
now after seeing this even more so. But you know this,

726
00:38:44.199 --> 00:38:48.039
this really touches into a small footnote note of actual

727
00:38:48.199 --> 00:38:52.199
history that I think anyone that watches us will will

728
00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:57.400
enjoy and it'll you know, inform them. It's just it's

729
00:38:57.440 --> 00:39:01.039
a great documentary for for anyone. I mean, there's there's

730
00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:02.679
so many different parts to it, you know, not only

731
00:39:02.719 --> 00:39:08.000
just the NASA stuff, but her perseverance or her backstory,

732
00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:13.079
you know, her desire to bring minorities and women, you know,

733
00:39:13.239 --> 00:39:15.599
into the forefront of NASA. There's just so much to

734
00:39:15.679 --> 00:39:19.679
this documentary that people can take from it that I

735
00:39:19.800 --> 00:39:22.840
was pleasantly shocked at how much I enjoyed this. I

736
00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:27.119
knew I would, but I really really enjoyed this documentary

737
00:39:27.159 --> 00:39:29.679
and I know for a fact that I'll see it again.

738
00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:30.199
Yeah.

739
00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:34.039
I went into this knowing that I would learn more

740
00:39:34.320 --> 00:39:38.239
about Michelle Nichols and the Space program, but I didn't

741
00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:43.400
know how much it would how much it would hit home. Obviously,

742
00:39:43.400 --> 00:39:45.480
it was emotionally hard hitting for some of the things

743
00:39:45.480 --> 00:39:49.840
that we had had mentioned, but knowing how much she

744
00:39:49.960 --> 00:39:52.519
had had done with something that could have just been

745
00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:57.239
dismissed as I'm doing a space TV show for a

746
00:39:57.239 --> 00:40:01.320
couple of years, and it became so much more right

747
00:40:01.480 --> 00:40:04.159
a time when it was Westerns and it was it

748
00:40:04.199 --> 00:40:05.920
was off the air for a while until there was

749
00:40:05.960 --> 00:40:10.440
a movie, and possibly even forgotten. Frankly, I mean, it

750
00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:13.039
was in syndication for a long time, but it could

751
00:40:13.079 --> 00:40:18.360
have died on the vine way back when. And knowing

752
00:40:18.360 --> 00:40:21.119
how much more she had done, how much more she

753
00:40:21.159 --> 00:40:25.000
had made it meaningful to people, and knowing what it

754
00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:30.480
could do was amazing. I love seeing the richness of

755
00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:35.400
her life and learning about her her passion for singing

756
00:40:35.440 --> 00:40:38.480
and dancing, on top of what she had done for NASA.

757
00:40:39.159 --> 00:40:41.559
Even kind of culminating, there's almost like a blinking you'll

758
00:40:41.599 --> 00:40:45.440
miss it or if you you know, hit the if

759
00:40:45.480 --> 00:40:47.400
you follow the prompt, you'll miss it. There's kind of

760
00:40:47.400 --> 00:40:50.039
a mid credit scene where she sings fly Me to

761
00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:54.239
the Moon, kind of a recent recording. Oh god, she's

762
00:40:54.239 --> 00:40:55.480
still got the pipes to hit it?

763
00:40:55.599 --> 00:40:58.360
Yes, do. It's amazing.

764
00:40:58.480 --> 00:41:01.559
So, I mean, if you're a fan of any of

765
00:41:01.599 --> 00:41:05.760
the series, Original Series, Next Generation, Strange New Worlds, anything

766
00:41:05.800 --> 00:41:08.840
along the lines, I think it's important to watch this

767
00:41:08.960 --> 00:41:11.880
movie not only to hear about this incredible woman and

768
00:41:11.920 --> 00:41:17.159
her role in history, but the impact that we understand

769
00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:19.760
that this franchise can have. I think it's amazing and

770
00:41:19.800 --> 00:41:20.559
I'm glad that it's.

771
00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:24.320
Out there, even even fans of history, fans of the

772
00:41:24.360 --> 00:41:25.360
Space Program.

773
00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:28.119
You need to watch this documentary.

774
00:41:27.880 --> 00:41:32.599
All right? And Brandy final thoughts on Woman in Motion, No.

775
00:41:32.719 --> 00:41:39.360
I think we hit it all. I do love you

776
00:41:39.360 --> 00:41:42.880
were talking about the history, like the television history of

777
00:41:43.400 --> 00:41:48.239
Roden Berry doing that show The Lieutenants and that episode

778
00:41:48.239 --> 00:41:53.320
not airing because it was an African American story during

779
00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:58.400
segregated time, and so he creates Star Trek to like

780
00:41:58.480 --> 00:42:01.920
tell the stories he wants to tell in this subversive way.

781
00:42:02.599 --> 00:42:05.559
I get it past the network. I just was like, oh,

782
00:42:05.639 --> 00:42:08.280
that's good. I like that so much.

783
00:42:09.199 --> 00:42:11.280
Well, crew, I appreciate you coming on to talk about

784
00:42:11.320 --> 00:42:13.760
this one. I'm very glad that we chose to to

785
00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:16.639
cover it too, because it brings it to the top

786
00:42:16.639 --> 00:42:22.039
of the queue. So as always, thank you Amber for

787
00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:28.760
joining us. Yes, it was so much fun. Thanks David Wayne.

788
00:42:28.800 --> 00:42:31.159
As usual, I want to captain a horror show.

789
00:42:31.639 --> 00:42:33.280
Yes, I'd like to see that too.

790
00:42:33.559 --> 00:42:37.800
Yeah, that would be fantastic. I mean we get how

791
00:42:37.880 --> 00:42:40.360
much more of a strange New World's after this?

792
00:42:41.159 --> 00:42:43.440
Like what you hears of it or two more years

793
00:42:43.760 --> 00:42:44.719
after this one.

794
00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:48.039
I mean there's always room. There's a lot of in

795
00:42:48.159 --> 00:42:49.159
between there we could cover.

796
00:42:49.519 --> 00:42:52.119
I absolutely love her character now I always did, but

797
00:42:52.199 --> 00:42:54.599
this one just man so much more knocked it out

798
00:42:54.599 --> 00:42:55.280
of the park for me.

799
00:42:55.920 --> 00:42:59.000
Epitomize as a communication officer, that's the person that's supposed

800
00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:03.519
to be helping people talk and communicate and connect. This

801
00:43:03.719 --> 00:43:04.920
just makes it so much more.

802
00:43:05.199 --> 00:43:05.519
It does.

803
00:43:06.880 --> 00:43:09.599
As always, thanks to our listeners for joining us. Healing

804
00:43:09.679 --> 00:43:12.039
frequencies are always open for you to share your thoughts

805
00:43:12.079 --> 00:43:15.679
and questions on Facebook, Instagram, and your fait favorite social channels.

806
00:43:16.039 --> 00:43:18.719
Email us at a film by Podcast at gmail dot com,

807
00:43:18.960 --> 00:43:21.320
find us online at a film by podcast dot com,

808
00:43:21.360 --> 00:43:23.639
and if you're looking for more exclusive content and swag,

809
00:43:23.960 --> 00:43:26.519
send some latinm our way through Patreon. See you next

810
00:43:26.519 --> 00:43:28.400
time for another episode on Phaser's Set to Sun