Star Trek star LeVar Burton just received a pretty big government honor. The beloved Reading Rainbow host was one of the 2023 National Humanities Medalists. For his impact as an actor and literacy advocate, Burton joined an elite group of people who have received the National Humanities Medal. He hosted the PBS Kids educational television series Reading Rainbow for 23 years, receiving 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for his work on the show. His other work includes Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Kunta Kinte in the critically acclaimed ABC miniseries Roots.
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. Other 2023 recipients include late chef and author Anthony Bourdain, cartoonist and author Roz Chast, scholar and publisher of Hispanic literature Nicolás Kanellos, scholar and author Robin Wall Kimmerer, philanthropic organization Mellon Foundation, filmmaker Dawn Porter, playwright, screenwriter, and director Aaron Sorkin, social justice philanthropist Darren Walker, and anthropologist and cultural leader Rosita Worl.
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In conjunction with the National Medals of Arts, President Biden presented the 2022 and 2023 National Humanities Medals on Monday in a private ceremony at the White House. Burton’s wife, Stephanie Cozart Burton, shared a sweet post on X, writing, “Proud of my hubby,” along with a red heart emoji. “We just left the Oval Office where President Biden awarded him the medal of Excellence in Humanities for the work he’s done in the field of literature and expression in arts. He’s the best of us.”
“The National Humanities Medal recipients have enriched our world through writing that moves and inspires us; scholarship that enlarges our understanding of the past; and through their dedication to educating, informing, and giving voice to communities and histories often overlooked,” said NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). “I am proud to join President Biden in recognizing these distinguished leaders for their outstanding contributions to our nation’s cultural life.”
LeVar Burton has inspired generations of children to love reading, opening their worlds to new neighborhoods, new people, and new ideas. “Through books, he encouraged children to find their interests, their voices, their stories. He made the world a better place, one book at a time.”
