Burton was awarded the National Humanities Medal for his impact as an actor and literacy advocate
LeVar Burton, actor, director, author, and former host of “Reading Rainbow,” was recognized this week for his lifelong work championing literacy and learning.
On October 21, Burton was awarded the National Humanities Medal for his acting and literacy advocacy work in a ceremony at the White House. Seventeen distinguished humanists and two humanities organizations were recognized at the event. Honorees include historian Jon Meacham, author and chef Anthony Bourdain, poet Joy Harjo, screenwriter and director Aaron Sorkin, and cartoonist and author Roz Chast.
Awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Humanities Medal honors an individual or organization whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the human experience, broadened citizens’ engagement with history or literature, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to cultural resources. NEH awarded its first medal in 1996, and 225 medals have been presented since: 207 to individuals and 18 to organizations.
After the ceremony, Burton posted on X:
And Burton’s wife, Stephanie Cozart Burton, shared:
A voice against book bans Burton has been a vocal critic of U.S. book bans in recent years. In 2023, he served as the honorary chair of Banned Books Week.“Books bring us together. They teach us about the world and each other. The ability to read and access books is a fundamental right and a necessity for life-long success,” Burton said. “But books are under attack. They’re being removed from libraries and schools. Shelves have been emptied because of a small number of people and their misguided efforts toward censorship. Public advocacy campaigns like Banned Books Week are essential to helping people understand the scope of book censorship and what they can do to fight it. I’m honored to lead Banned Books Week 2023.”
