Martin-Green Answers Disgruntled Fans
2 min readWhen casting was announced for Star Trek: Discovery, some fans weren’t happy with some of the choices, forgetting that even back in the 1960s, Star Trek featured a diverse crew.
Sonequa Martin-Green, who will be taking on the leading role of First Officer Michael Burnham, had something to say to those critical of the casting choices.
“Well, I would encourage them to key into the essence and spirit of Star Trek that has made it the legacy it is — and that’s looking across the way to the person sitting in front of you and realizing you are the same, that they are not separate from you, and we are all one,” she said. “That’s something Star Trek has always upheld and I completely believe that is why it’s been a mainstay in society in the hearts of so many people for so many decades. I would encourage them to look past their opinions and social conditioning and key into what we’re doing here — which is telling a story about humanity that will hopefully bring us all together.
“And it’s hard to understand and appreciate Star Trek if you don’t understand and appreciate that,” Martin-Green added. “It’s one of the foundational principles of Star Trek and I feel if you miss that then you miss the legacy itself. I’m incredibly proud to be the lead of this show and be at the forefront of an iteration of Star Trek that’s from the eyes of a black woman that’s never been done before, though obviously there’s been other forms of diversity that have been innovated by Trek. I feel like we’re taking another step forward, which I think all stories should do. We should go boldly where nobody has gone before and stay true to that.”