Real-life political activist Stacey Abrams had a cameo as President of United Earth in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, and should return in season 5.

When Star Trek: Discovery returns for its 5th and final season in 2024, Stacey Abrams must also return as the President of United Earth. Star Trek‘s future promises Earth’s unification in a single world government, instrumental in founding the United Federation of Planets, until the 31st century Burn eliminates interstellar warp travel and gives Earth reason to drop its Federation membership. After Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery successfully reunite Federation worlds and save Earth from Species 10-C’s Dark Matter Anomaly, the President of United Earth (Stacey Abrams) reconsiders Earth’s isolationist stance and meets with Federation President Laira Rillik (Chaira Horsdal) to rejoin the Federation.

Stacey Abrams’ cameo as the United Earth President in Star Trek: Discovery season 4’s finale, “Coming Home”, is the perfect nod to both Abrams’ political activism and Star Trek fandom. After serving for 11 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, Stacey Abrams was the Democratic candidate in 2018’s race for Georgia governor. Abrams’ political action is a vehicle for the changes that will lead to Star Trek‘s more equitable future. As a fan, Stacey Abrams cites Star Trek as an inspiration for her activism, creating organizations related to voting rights, employment for people of color, and social equity on multiple levels here and now, in the 21st century.

Why President Stacey Abrams Must Appear In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Stacey Abrams’ Work is Important in the 32nd and 21st Centuries

Stacey Abrams must appear in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 as President of United Earth because there’s more important work for Earth to do after rejoining the Federation. Discovery‘s Stacey Abrams may be working within the Federation to reinstate Earth’s reputation in a new era. Earth’s former alliances must be restored, and a collaboration between Federation worlds in Discovery season 5’s intergalactic treasure hunt just may be the thing that achieves this difficult goal. As Earth’s Federation representative, President Stacey Abrams could appear to provide guidance or material aid to help Captain Burnham and ensure Discovery’s success.

The 21st-century Stacey Abrams is an amazing real-life analogue to Discovery‘s Captain Michael Burnham, and an extended role for Abrams would honor that. Abrams’ work in the public sphere lays groundwork for Star Trek‘s future of a unified humanity here and now, the same way that Burnham brings the reality of a unified Federation to a broken, post-Burn 32nd century. Both Stacey Abrams and Michael Burnham know what is possible because they’ve seen how an ideal world works, and both act as much-needed beacons of hope in worlds that need to not only hear a message of unity, but see examples of people actually living by it in their time.

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United Earth Is Important To Star Trek: Discovery’s 32nd Century Federation Future

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Should Pick Up Discovery’s Story on United Earth

United Earth plays an important role in the future of Star Trek: Discovery‘s 32nd-century Federation. Earth reemerges from isolation and fear in Discovery season 4 thanks to the actions of Burnham and the Discovery crew, whose stalwart faith in the Federation gives them the tools necessary to recreate the interconnected political landscape of the 22nd century. As Captain Burnham takes on new missions, Earth must take those tools for itself and begin the hard work of reasserting its place within the Federation and rebuilding Starfleet from the ground up, starting with a brand-new Starfleet Academy for the 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery‘s 32nd century seasons have themes of uniting disparate people, between Discovery season 3’s difficult task of reuniting a post-Burn Federation, and the challenge of figuring out how to communicate with the elusive Species 10-C at the edge of the galaxy to ensure Earth and Ni’var’s survival in Discovery season 4. With ever-increasing stakes, Discovery season 5 promises to be bigger and bolder than Star Trek: Discovery‘s previous 4 seasons, so it will need to bring together more than just known Federation worlds and extragalactic aliens. It remains to be seen what new challenges await, but Stacey Abrams as President of United Earth should help Discovery face them.