The actor, director and television host turns 60 on February 16, 2017.
The multitalented Burton rose to fame for playing Kunta Kinte in the acclaimed ABC miniseries Roots in 1977, then expanded his fanbase even further with his role as Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation starting in 1987.
In honor of Burton’s milestone birthday, look back at some of classic Reading Rainbow clips from the original PBS Kids show.
1. Remember this intro song, ‘80s and ‘90s kids?
2. LeVar Burton chats about pigs with Kermit the Frog:
3. Hip hop group Run DMC busts some rhymes about reading in this classic clip:
4. This 1987 promo for a Reading Rainbow VHS tape features some of the classic books featured on the show. These titles can make you seriously nostalgic!
The story is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago, perhaps even more so. Slavery’s insidious legacy of racism and institutionalized discrimination continues to rear its ugly head in contemporary America and the linkage between these societal flaws and our foundation as a slave-owning nation are unassailable.
