So ThinkGeek came out with a line of those family car window stickers -- as one web commenter put it, the modern day equivalent of the Baby on Board that survivors of the 1980s will remember. ThinkGeek's new line is of Star Trek characters. Great. Except...they're all white. Including a figure of the groundbreaking black character Lt. Uhura.
Why Think Geek Whitewashed Star Trek's Lt. Uhura
(and Why It Matters) (EBONY)ThinkGeek’s official public statement that “the original design is intended to focus on the unique and distinct TOS uniforms and not the differences found in the human characters,” the designers made each of the Enterprise crew distinct in some way beyond their uniforms—different hair, different props, pointy ears. That consideration just didn’t extend to skin color.
That it happened matters a great deal. Star Trek’s Lieutenant Uhura was a groundbreaking character on a groundbreaking television show. She served as an inspiration and a role model for generations Black people, from little girls who grew up to be actresses...to little girls who grew up to be astronauts...and many more of us in-between. That she is Black is important. Having her racial identity erased, even in a medium so minor as stickers for your SUV’s back window, is still a huge problem.
...ThinkGeek doesn’t plan to order more until there’s a decision about the redesign sometime in the next few days or weeks. ...