‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Star Sonequa Martin-Green Looks Gorgeous While Celebrating 5 Seasons as 1st Black Female Captain
Sonequa Martin-Green broke ground in 2017 as the first Black female captain in the beloved Star Trek franchise. Now, she’s making the rounds to promote and celebrate her fifth and final season as Captain Michael Burnham. See the 39-year-old’s gorgeous style and how she’s honoring her groundbreaking character.
On April 29, Martin-Green chatted with Zakiya Carr Johnson during a screening of Star Trek: Discovery in Washington, D.C. The Russellville, Alabama native spoke with the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer about the end of the hit Paramount+ series and how race influenced her experience.
Earlier in April, Martin-Green explained how she first navigated internalized racism regarding her role. “At the time, I thought, ‘This is all about hope.’ Hope is at the center of this franchise,” she said, according to CBS News. It’s our responsibility to keep that moving forward. People can think what they want to think, but they need a chance to grow.”
The Walking Dead star elaborated on being the first Black female captain: “It was overwhelming at the time. And it was heavy, but God really blessed me with it, and I learned so much from it. I learned so much about who I am as a Black woman. And I learned that I don’t have to fight for my value or my worth because I definitely felt that way.”
Another element of being a Black woman in such a groundbreaking role involved the appearance of Martin-Green’s character. The Space Jam: A New Legacy actor knew she wanted her hair to be “1,000%” natural. With the showrunners in complete agreement, they created a plan to transition Martin-Green’s gorgeous hair from a straight “Vulcan bowl” to a “short ‘fro” to braids, according to her conversation with Ashley & Company. “We all understood, this is a big moment; this is the moment that you know television history is made,” Martin-Green explained.
Martin-Green took control of Star Trek: Discovery in more helpful ways than one. She eventually became an executive producer, helping shape the series to its conclusion in late May. Trekkies are eagerly anticipating the rest of season five. Martin-Green gave a hint to CBS News. She stated that the final season will be “bigger than we had ever done before.” She explained, “We love these characters. We love the people. We love the story,” perhaps implying a possible movie extension of the Star Trek: Discovery universe.
