The actress who portrayed Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge’s (LeVar Burton) mother inStar Trek: The Next Generationhad appeared asStar Trek’sfirst Black female captain a few years before. Not much was revealed about Geordi’s family throughoutTNG’srun and neither of his parents appeared on the show until season 7. As theChief Engineer on the USS Enterprise-Dunder 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).
InStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 7, episode 3, “Interface,” Geordi learns that the USS Hera has gone missing and thatall 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 withhis 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 previousStar Trekinstallment.
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 inStar Trek: The Next Generation,Madge Sinclair had appeared as the unnamed captain of the USS Saratoga inStar Trek IV: The Voyage Homein 1986.This unnamed captain was both the first woman and the first Black womanto appear as a starship captain in theStar Trekfranchise.Sinclair made history with her brief appearance inThe Voyage Home,and she cemented her place inStar Trek’slegacy by returning to portray yet another starship captain inTNG.
Every Member Of Geordi La Forge’s Family In Star Trek Explained
Several of Geordi La Forge’s family members have been introduced throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Picard.
AlthoughTNGprovided 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 onStar Trek,with captains likeJames T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Jean-Luc Picardforegoing 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 ofTNG’sCaptain La Forge, Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Kathryn Janeway would make history as the first woman to lead aStar Trekshow with the premiere ofStar Trek: Voyagerin 1995. Sinclair helped pave the way not only for Janeway, butalso for Black women like Sonequa Martin-Green and Dawnn Lewiswho now get to portray accomplishedStar Trekcaptains. With the premiere ofStar Trek: Discoveryin 2017, Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham became the first Black woman to lead aStar Trekshow.
After an emotional journey full of ups and downs, Michael Burnham rose to the rank of Admiral by the end ofDiscoveryand helped rebuild the United Federation of Planets.
OnStar Trek: Lower Decks,Dawnn Lewis’s Captain Carol Freemandoes 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 Nicholsand her groundbreaking portrayal of Lt. Uhura onStar Trek: The Original Series. Thanks to characters like Lt. Uhura and Captain La Forge, modernStar Trekhas two shows with accomplished Black women in the captain’s chair, building on the legacy of Madge Sinclair’s pioneering characters.
