LeVar Burton’s story reminds us that Black history is not frozen in the past; it is being written in real time every time a Black storyteller uses their gifts to change how children see themselves and the world. As an actor, advocate and host, Burton turned painful history into truth-telling and quiet storytime into a revolutionary act of literacy and joy.
Born in 1957 in Landstuhl, West Germany, and raised in Sacramento, California, Burton grew up in a home where books and education were nonnegotiable. His mother, Erma Gene Christian, an English teacher and social worker, put stories at the center of his childhood and taught him that reading was a path to power and possibility. That foundation would later shape everything he did on screen and behind the scenes.
According to PBS’s “Pioneers of Television” profile and Burton’s own reflections, his breakthrough came in 1977, when he was still a college student, playing young Kunta Kinte in the television miniseries “Roots.”
His performance as an African man torn from his homeland and forced into slavery brought a depth and honesty to network television that American audiences had rarely seen. “Roots” forced millions of viewers to confront the brutality of slavery and the resilience of Black people, and Burton’s face became permanently linked with that truth‑telling moment in TV history.
For Black viewers, seeing a young Black man carry such a powerful story on prime‑time television was more than representation — it was validation. Burton showed that Black history was not just a side note; it was central, painful, complex and worthy of serious attention.
Burton’s success in “Roots” helped open doors for other Black actors and creators. That experience gave him the platform — and the responsibility — to decide how he wanted to use his influence next.
In 1983, Burton chose to use that platform for liberation as well as entertainment when he became host and executive producer of the PBS children’s series “Reading Rainbow.” At a time when Black children rarely saw themselves centered in educational programming, Burton sat down in front of the camera and spoke directly to them — and to all children — as if they were already readers, thinkers and explorers. With a soft voice and steady presence, he made books feel like a doorway, not a test.
“Reading Rainbow” did more than recommend good books; as the Los Angeles Times and NPR note, it was designed to help children fall in love with reading itself, focusing on the joy and power of stories rather than phonics.
For more than two decades, Burton led children through stories that reflected different cultures, families and neighborhoods, gently teaching that every child’s story mattered. In a media landscape that often sidelined Black voices, he modeled a different reality: a Black man as the trusted guide to imagination, knowledge and critical thinking.
Burton’s impact reaches far beyond the original television broadcast. Through digital reading platforms, apps and partnerships with literacy organizations, he has helped bring books and story‑based learning to a new generation of children on tablets, phones and the web. For many Black children and other children of color, seeing him at the center of that mission sent a clear message: reading is for you, storytelling is for you, and your story belongs here, too.
For me, LeVar Burton is not just a historical figure; he is my hero. Watching him turn words into power and stories into connection pushed me toward journalism and storytelling, showing me that telling the truth — whether about history, community or everyday life — is sacred work. Because of him, I believe in using my own voice, and my pen, to lift up others and to make sure our stories are not forgotten.
So in this Black History Month tribute , we honor LeVar Burton not only for the roles he played, but for the futures he helped shape. From “Roots” to “Reading Rainbow” and beyond, he has shown that when a Black storyteller is given a platform, entire generations can learn to read, to question and to dream bigger. His legacy lives on every time a child picks up a book and believes that the story inside — and the story they carry — truly belongs to them.
