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'Star Trek’s' History-Making Black Woman Captain Sonequa Martin-Green Shares How She Got Here

The actress appeared on BET Talks and shared insight on breaking barriers, “You just take that baton and you run and it will all settle as it should.”

Actress Sonequa Martin-Green has graced many small screens, but perhaps her role in “The Walking Dead” catapulted her into super-stardom. Her latest role as Commander Michael Burnham in “Star Trek: Discovery” has sealed her fate as a Hollywood heavyweight. Green is shifting history as Burnham, making her the first Black woman to lead the “Star Trek” series as a captain or commander. 

During an exclusive sit-down with BET Talks, Green shared memories of never feeling Black enough growing up and wishing she had more melanin, how she healed out of that, found her untouchable worth and how she’s been preparing her whole life for where she is now as an actress. 

Sonequa learned early in acting that she’d have to forge her own path–go out for roles as if they called for Black girls, level her own playing field. That’s probably why her shifting history in “Star Trek” is just the tip of the iceberg of her career. 

Check out the full talk to learn more about the greatness that is Sonequa Martin-Green.

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