On this day:
First Interracial Kiss on Television
It might be hard to imagine today, but once-upon-a-time, interracial kissing, particularly between a black person and a white person, was an absolute “no-no” on American television. This, of course, was at a time when segregation was slowly being undone and interracial marriage was forbidden, or even outlawed, in some places.
But, Hollywood, ever-eager to break new ground, took its first bite of the forbidden fruit on November 22, 1968. The kiss happened on Star Trek: The Original Series, in the episode titled “Plato’s Stepchildren”, between Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols).
The kiss was portrayed as involuntary, forced by telekinesis, rather than romantic, in an apparent attempt to avoid outraging fans of the show.
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