Voyages Event Program
“An Evening with Actor, Director and Literacy Advocate LeVar Burton”
LeVar Burton
Emmy and Grammy Winner
Beloved Former Host and Executive Producer of the PBS Children’s Program “Reading Rainbow”
November 14, 2024
7 – 8:15 PM (EST – U.S. and Canada)
Moderated Discussion and Audience Q&A
ECU Main Campus Student Center Ballroom, 501 E. 10th St., Greenville, NC
(If you attended the reception, view, download or print your photo from the gallery by Rob Taylor Photography & Design.)
Welcoming Remarks
Dr. Allison S. Danell
Dean, Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Science
East Carolina University
Introduction
Dr. Aleia Monae Brown
Whichard Distinguished Professor in the Humanities
Associate Professor in the Department of History
East Carolina University
Moderated Q&A
Dr. Aleia Monae Brown
Whichard Distinguished Professor in the Humanities
Associate Professor in the Department of History
East Carolina University
Speaker Biography
Burton is an Emmy and Peabody award-winner known for his roles as Kunte Kinte in the 1977 ABC television miniseries “Roots” and as chief engineer Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” However, he has said he is most proud of his role as host and executive producer of the beloved PBS children’s series “Reading Rainbow.” Airing from 1983 to 2009, it was not only one of the longest-running children’s television shows in history but also one of the most acclaimed, earning more than 200 awards, including multiple Emmys and a Peabody.
As a lifelong literacy advocate, Burton has dedicated decades to encouraging children to read. In 2017, the long-standing literacy nonprofit, Reading is Fundamental, acquired Burton’s Skybrary reading app to provide access to millions of children at home and school. Committed to improving children’s education through the latest pioneering technologies, Burton partnered with Osmo’s Reading Adventure, an innovative technology that uses speech recognition and digital storytelling to teach children to read. In 2023, he premiered his first documentary, “The Right to Read,” a film that positions the literacy crisis in America as a civil rights issue.
Most recently, Burton launched LeVar Burton Entertainment with a mission to create content that fosters empathy, champions diversity and builds community. Under this banner, Burton develops projects in film, television, podcasting and publishing. Now in its 13th season, his popular podcast, “LeVar Burton Reads,” has produced more than 200 episodes and boasts 25 million downloads.
Burton continues to exercise his passion for storytelling as the award-winning author of “The Rhino who Swallowed a Storm,” and “A Kid’s Book About Imagination.” Burton launched his first book club with Fable, a digital book club community. In his partnership with Masterclass, Burton shared the power of storytelling by offering insights into his own life and the importance of authenticity and dynamic expression.
As the honored recipient of six NAACP awards, a Peabody, a Grammy, and 15 Emmys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Inaugural Children’s and Family Emmys, Burton has demonstrated that he can do it all. He is often invited as a keynote speaker at leading education and technology events, including NASA, ISTE, The National Education Association, FAST COMPANY’s Innovation Series and many more. In 2022, Burton was selected as the Tournament of Roses Grand Marshal, ushering in the new year with the theme of “Dream. Believe. Achieve.”
With more than 4 million social media followers, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a dedicated park in his hometown of Sacramento, California, this pop culture icon has the unique ability to connect with all ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups – communicating to a large fan base that is highly engaged.
Voyages Series Co-Hosts
Ms. Harvey S. Wooten
Dr. Aleia Monae Brown, Whichard Distinguished Professor in the Humanities
Eutsler Lecture in Children’s Literature
Voyages Series Contributing Sponsors
ECU Contributing Sponsors:
ECU Friends of Joyner Library
ECU Joyner Library
ECU Laupus Health Sciences Library
ECU Department of English
ECU Department of History
ECU College of Education
ECU Office of Innovation and Engagement
Community and Corporate Contributing Sponsors:
Amanda Whited, Ph.D., Realtor with Keller Williams Points East
Nostalgia Newsstand