On February 16, 1957, LeVar Burton was born in Landstuhl, West Germany, beginning a career that would span landmark Black storytelling, science fiction and children’s literacy.
Burton, raised in Sacramento, California, by his mother, Erma Gene Ward, initially planned for the priesthood and entered St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Galt. As a teenager, he reconsidered that path and turned to acting. At 19, while studying at the University of Southern California, he landed the role that introduced him to a national audience: Kunta Kinte in ABC’s 1977 miniseries “Roots,” based on Alex Haley’s novel. The performance earned Burton an Emmy nomination and made him a defining face of a project that reshaped how many Americans talked about slavery on television.
That same era brought additional screen work, including “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” and “Dummy.” In 1980, Burton earned an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for “The Hunter.” He also began building a résumé in public television, including hosting “Rebop,” a multicultural PBS series aimed at young viewers.
In 1983, Burton took on the role many families still associate with him most: host and executive producer of PBS’ “Reading Rainbow.” The series ran for 23 seasons, with Burton earning 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for the show’s work. Years later, he helped carry the brand into new formats, including an iPad-era revival effort that drew major public attention and funding.
In 1987, Burton joined “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as Geordi La Forge, the Enterprise’s blind helmsman who later became chief engineer. The character’s VISOR became iconic, and Burton went on to reprise La Forge in the “Next Generation” films and later in “Star Trek: Picard.” He also moved behind the camera, directing episodes across multiple “Star Trek” series.
Burton’s voice work and narration became another signature, including a Grammy win for Best Spoken Word Album for “The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.” He later hosted the podcast “LeVar Burton Reads,” often described as “Reading Rainbow for adults,” from 2017 to 2024.
Since October 2024, Burton has hosted “Trivial Pursuit” on The CW while continuing to advocate for literacy and oppose book bans. As Burton put it in a five-word Webby acceptance speech: “Be a better person. Read.”
