Like many generational franchises still plugging along, Star Trek is struggling as a vocal minority of fans declare the universe is dead. Setting aside the business of Hollywood and the changing landscape of entertainment, the universe Gene Roddenberry created 60 years ago isn't just alive and well, it's more relevant than ever. One reason I love Star Trek is because it literally changed the world for the better in the past, and it can do it again. While it may seem like fanboy hyperbole to say a fictional universe about people in spaceships is important, it's not. One needs to only look at the legacy of Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols to understand that.
Uhura was the most prominent and respected Black woman character on television at the time. American hero Martin Luther King, Jr. pleaded with her to not quit the series. She inspired future Star Trek actors like Whoopi Goldberg, LeVar Burton and Sonequa Martin-Green. After giving a talk to NASA about diversity, they hired to her to recruit women and people of color. One of those people, Mae Jemison, was the first Black woman in space, and she even cameoed on The Next Generation. Beyond just representation, Star Trek then and now is a blueprint for a better future. As I look at the world today, I am convinced we need it more than ever.
Star Trek Began as a Promise Things Will Get Better
People Today Have a Deficit of Curiosity, Compassion and Hope
After working as a police officer and being stymied by network censors on "grounded" television series, Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek with a vision. Through sci-fi allegory, writers could tell stories about the things holding humanity back: bigotry, war and resistance to science. But rather than crafting a dystopian future, Star Trek showed audiences a world that shed hatred, violence and wealth. Science fiction is often used as a warning, but Star Trek is a dream of what might happen if people get their acts together.
"There was something ineffable running through [Star Trek], which Gene Roddenberry's philosophy…it's a universe where everyone has a place." Brannon Braga in The Fifty-Year Mission: The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman.
This philosophy persists in the modern day, but tailored to the times. "Star Trek has always been a mirror…[of] the moment," executive producer Alex Kurtzman told CBR, you want to keep reinforcing this ultimate vision that things will work out." From the threat of global climate change to the reckless authoritarianism of the current US government, Star Trek can give people hope even though it's fiction. It shows audiences a world, a galaxy, an example of duty and service free of ego, ignorance and cruelty.
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Star Trek Celebrates Science and Expertise, and People Need That Today
While Skepticism Is Vital to Understanding, Too Much Is Unhealthy
There is fantasy in this universe, despite its reputation as pure science fiction. For example, Star Trek's iconic transporters are as magical as the Force. The accuracy of the concepts in the episodes and films isn't really that important. Rather, it's the approach the characters take to solving a given problem. No matter which era of Star Trek, the characters work together to first understand and find a scientifically viable way to fix things.
Star Trek employs scientific consultants who help to ground the high-concept stories in an authentic framework.
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Medical researchers are trying to create things like tricorders and the hypo-spray injectors from Star Trek. Today, science denialism is on the rise, from unhealthy skepticism of the miracles that are vaccines to the downright foolish "Flat Earth" conspiracy theorists. Star Trek makes science cool and heroic, which can recontextualize the obstinate attitudes that stand in the way of understanding and progress towards a better future.
Star Trek's In-Universe History Is a Warning, Not a Roadmap
Humanity Can Achieve Great Things Without Destroying Itself First
As a war veteran myself, I understand why Gene Roddenberry didn't want Star Trek to tell war stories. Such things were supposed to be left behind, because there is no glory in it. It's horrible and traumatic, but there is a future after it, even for veterans like us. Creating a peaceful and tolerant society where everyone has the right to live freely and thrive doesn't require devastation to achieve. If we're really lucky, Star Trek can inspire the world to skip the apocalyptic stage on the way towards that better future.
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Star Trek Champions Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
Bigotry and Prejudice Must Be Acknowledged Before It Can Be Defeated
The people in the world who want to sow anger and division know that unity is a threat to that goal. Star Trek is indeed "woke," insofar as that co-opted term means embracing diversity as a strength. One of Roddenberry's core principles for his universe was an acceptance of "infinite diversity in infinite combinations." From Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series to the LGBTQIA+ characters in modern series, acknowledging and celebrating our differences brings everyone closer together. People tend to fear what they don't understand.
- Each series featured a cast that highlighted diversity, both in the real world and in-universe.
- The equity and integration in Star Trek also showed that personal and cultural individuality can exist and thrive in such a setting.
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I'm not saying that Star Trek will solve the world's problems. After all, it is just a TV show. But allegorical stories are empathy engines and can change the perspective of the audience. Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan thinks fiction needs more heroes. I believe that Star Trek can help people see past the bad faith rhetoric designed to keep people angry and afraid. Over a half-century ago, Uhura helped girls and children of color see a brighter future than they might have otherwise. Star Trek can do that for modern audiences of all ages, if only because it helps them imagine a future where it all works out.
The suite of Star Trek series and films are available to own on DVD, Blu-ray, digital and stream on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
