The actress who portrayed Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge's (LeVar Burton) mother in Star Trek: The Next Generation had appeared as Star Trek's first Black female captain a few years before. Not much was revealed about Geordi's family throughout TNG's run and neither of his parents appeared on the show until season 7. As the Chief Engineer on the USS Enterprise-D under the command of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Geordi's storylines typically involved him solving engineering problems with his best friend, Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner).
In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 3, "Interface," Geordi learns that the USS Hera has gone missing and that all of its crewmembers, including Captain Silva La Forge (Madge Sinclair), are presumed dead. Prior to learning this information, Geordi, Data, and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) had been testing an interface device that would allow Geordi to see through and pilot with his iconic VISOR. As Geordi uses this interface to explore another ship, he encounters an alien lifeform that takes on the appearance of his mother. This creates a fascinating parallel with a previous Star Trek installment.
Madge Sinclair Made Star Trek History As 2 Different Captains
Sinclair Appeared In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home & Star Trek: The Next Generation
Several years before she portrayed Captain La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Madge Sinclair had appeared as the unnamed captain of the USS Saratoga in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in 1986. This unnamed captain was both the first woman and the first Black woman to appear as a starship captain in the Star Trek franchise. Sinclair made history with her brief appearance in The Voyage Home, and she cemented her place in Star Trek's legacy by returning to portray yet another starship captain in TNG.
Although TNG provided little information about Captain La Forge and her history, she remains an impressive character in her own right. She and her husband, Edward (Ben Vereen), both worked in Starfleet and traveled often, but still maintained a family. This in itself has rarely been depicted on Star Trek, with captains like James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Jean-Luc Picard foregoing families in service of their Starfleet careers. It's disappointing that Madge Sinclair's captains did not stick around very long, but both characters helped pave the way for future women, and Black women in particular, to take their place in the captain's chair.
Madge Sinclair’s Captain Inspired Star Trek: Discovery’s Burnham & Lower Decks’s Freeman
Her Legacy Has Continued Throughout The Series
Two years after Madge Sinclair's portrayal of TNG's Captain La Forge, Kate Mulgrew's Captain Kathryn Janeway would make history as the first woman to lead a Star Trek show with the premiere of Star Trek: Voyager in 1995. Sinclair helped pave the way not only for Janeway, but also for Black women like Sonequa Martin-Green and Dawnn Lewis who now get to portray accomplished Star Trek captains. With the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017, Sonequa Martin-Green's Michael Burnham became the first Black woman to lead a Star Trek show.
After an emotional journey full of ups and downs, Michael Burnham rose to the rank of Admiral by the end of Discovery and helped rebuild the United Federation of Planets.
On Star Trek: Lower Decks, Dawnn Lewis's Captain Carol Freeman does her best to maintain order on the USS Cerritos, keeping her cool even in the most ridiculous situations. Of course, all of these incredible women followed in the footsteps of Nichelle Nichols and her groundbreaking portrayal of Lt. Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series. Thanks to characters like Lt. Uhura and Captain La Forge, modern Star Trek has two shows with accomplished Black women in the captain's chair, building on the legacy of Madge Sinclair's pioneering characters.
