Page 32 - Florida Sentinel 8-5-22

Celebrity Passings
Boston Celtics Great Bill Russell, 11-Time NBA Champion, Dies At 88
Nichelle Nichols, Trailblazing 'Star Trek' Actress, Dies At 89
Bill Russell, the corner- stone of the Boston Celtics dy- nasty that won eight straight titles and 11 overall during his career, died Sunday. The Hall of Famer was 88.
Russell died "peacefully" with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, a statement posted on so- cial media read. Arrangements for his memorial service will be announced soon, according to the statement.
The statement did not give the cause of death, but Rus- sell, who had been living in the Seattle area, was not well enough to present the NBA Fi- nals MVP trophy in June be- cause of a long illness.
"But for all the winning, Bill's understanding of the
struggle is what illuminated his life," the statement said. "From boycotting a 1961 exhi- bition game to unmask too- long-tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippi's first in- tegrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of Medgar [Evers'] assassina- tion, to decades of activism ul- timately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom ... Bill called out injustice with an un- forgiving candor that he in- tended would disrupt the status quo, and with a power- ful example that, though never his humble intention, will for- ever inspire teamwork, self- lessness and thoughtful change.
BILL RUSSELL
official site on Sunday. "Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all."
Nichols died from natural causes, he said.
Nichols portrayed com- munications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura in the "Star Trek" TV series and many of its film offshoots.
Actress and singer Nichelle Nichols, best known for her groundbreak- ing portrayal of Lt. Nyota Uhura in "Star Trek: The Original Series," has died at age 89, according to a state- ment from her son, Kyle Johnson.
"Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, suc- cumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light how- ever, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspira- tion," Johnson said in a statement shared to Nichols'
NICHELLE NICHOLS
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