LeVar Burton to UTA crowd: ‘Imagination is a superpower’
LeVar Burton has entertained generations through notable roles such as Kunta Kinte and Geordi La Forge in the television series “Roots” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” respectively.
But at the kickoff of the 2023-24 Maverick Speakers Series, Burton said his role as executive producer and host of “Reading Rainbow,” in which he helped countless viewers forge relationships with an untold number of books, was his most significant role. Burton said if he would’ve had the opportunity to map out his career, he never would have been this generous to himself.
“I think that ‘Reading Rainbow’ was the best job I’ve ever had,” Burton said. “Between ‘Roots,’ ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Reading Rainbow, that’s like a Triple Crown.”
Burton’s lifelong pursuit of curiosity and imagination began with his mother, Erma Gene Christian. He told the sold-out audience at Texas Hall, along with event moderator and UTA President Jennifer Cowley, that he is the man he is today because of his mother.
“I can’t overstate the importance of choosing great parents, and I think I chose well,” he said.
Through his work in television and as an advocate for literacy, Burton has been awarded 15 Emmys, a Grammy, a Peabody and six NAACP awards. In 2022, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Children’s and Family Emmys.
He continues to pursue his passion for storytelling. Burton’s podcast, “LeVar Burton Reads,” is now in its 12th season and has become a way for people who grew up watching “Reading Rainbow” to stay connected to their imaginative selves. Imagination is the superpower of human beings, he said, allowing anyone to locate themselves in a moment of past, present or future.
Burton had previously said that the ethos of “Star Trek” was the belief that “When the future comes, there is a place for you.” Cowley asked him why that phrase resonated with Burton and so many others.
“We all want to be seen in life, and if you put that welcoming invitation—'Come to this space and see yourself’—that’s why representation is so important in media,” he said. “Not seeing oneself reflected in the popular culture, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to develop a healthy self-image.”