I find the Star Trek reference interesting, in that it's a TV
series which found its niche at a time when the politics of
race were coming to the fore in California.

Other trivia which may or may not be relevant: Nichelle Nichols
(Uhura) and Star Trek producer Gene Roddenberry were lovers, and
Nichols has supposedly said this may have helped her land the role
( http://www.nndb.com/people/503/000022437/ )

I find it somewhat interesting that the vision of the 23rd century
in Star Trek was such that racial and cultural identity remained
strong in the human race. The only venture into the idea of 'mixed
race' is in fact Spock. I would submit that, to the late-1960's
audience, the idea of a half-human was more palatable than a
mixed-human-race character! Witness that when you see human
couples on the series, they're never or mixed race. Even Kirk,
in full (and frequent) rut, is never amorous with a woman 'of
color' in the conventional sense. With green hair, yes. With brown
skin, no.

Then again, Star Fleet officialdom, at the highest levels (see
for example the episode Court Marshall where the senior officers
are of mixed race, but note, never female, then again, Enterprise
under Captain Pike prior to Kirk apparently had a female first-
officer.

Since we're onto the subject of women, note the uniforms. The men
were in eminently practical pants and tee-shirts, though their
heels may have been a bit much. The women, on the other hand,
had hair-dos that would take hours to produce, had lower necklines
and very high hemlines, along with what could best be described as
go-go boots. Eye-candy in the 60's sense, yes. Sexist, too. The
airlines quickly adopted such uniforms for their 'stewardesses.'
As they said, 'Fly the Friendly Thighs of United.'

In many ways, we've already progressed beyond Roddenberry's vision
of an integrated society...in the same fashion that much technology
has progressed beyond the original series' vision--- for example
the blinky lights and rocker-switches on the bridge set, not to
mention the computer making a sound like a model 33ASR teletype.