“Take a look, it’s in a book, a Reading Rainbow.” If you grew up as a reader, you likely have Reading Rainbow and its host, LeVar Burton, to thank. And now your favorite childhood icon is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Burton recently received the National Humanities Medal for his acting and literacy advocacy work. Keep reading to learn more about the honor and how his literary legacy lives on today.
LeVar Burton awarded National Humanities Medal for Literacy and Education Contributions
You can’t think of reading without also thinking of literary legend and all-around icon LeVar Burton. After what may seem like a long time coming, on October 21, 2024, Burton was ultimately recognized for his impactful work and received the 2023 National Humanities Medal from President Joe Biden.
The private ceremony was held at the White House, and the 19 recipients for the 2023 and 2022 honors included writers, historians, educators and filmmakers.
Burton now joins an elite group of people who have also been awarded this honor, and he fully deserves to be on this list. He hosted Reading Rainbow—the PBS Kids educational television series—for 23 years and received 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for his work. His other notable roles include Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Kunta Kinte in the ABC series Roots.
What is the National Humanities Medal? Understanding its legacy and impact
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) was created in 1965 as an independent federal agency to support research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other humanities areas. Since its origins, the NEH has given more than $6 billion to institutes, scholars, and communities to preserve cultural infrastructure in the U.S.
Regarding its honorees, the NEH awarded its first medal in 1996, and 225 medals have been presented since then—207 to individuals and 18 to organizations. According to their website, “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.”
The 2024 medal presentation
This year’s medal presentation was followed by a reception with remarks by President Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, and National Endowment for the Humanities Chair Shelly C. Lowe.
“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 Lowe during the reception. “I am proud to join President Biden in recognizing these distinguished leaders for their outstanding contributions to our nation’s cultural life.”
Celebrating LeVar Burton’s role in inspiring generations through ‘Reading Rainbow’
Burton’s impact as a storyteller shouldn’t go unnoticed. The first episode of Reading Rainbow aired in 1983; Burton actively encouraged kids to read and showed them the importance of learning through books. He’s been a household name for children, librarians, teachers, and others ever since.
“This method of storytelling, linking literature to real-world experience, can give kids an idea that the world is a vast place of infinite variety, where you can go anywhere, be anything,” said Burton about his time on Reading Rainbow in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
While Burton’s work on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Roots was important, it didn’t have quite the long-lasting effect like Reading Rainbow. He received his medal from the NEH for inspiring generations of children to explore new worlds, places and people, as well as helping them find their voice, passion and story.
Fans and family celebrate LeVar Burton
Shortly after the ceremony, 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.”
Burton also shared the post to his Instagram and the comments were overflowing with love and support.
One person wrote, “Congratulations Mr Burton! You are an inspiration and a national treasure. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do.”
“A well-deserved honor! Thank you for your fervent advocacy for libraries and the lifelong love of reading,” wrote another.
Several people called him a national treasure, wished him congratulations and declared that the medal was more than deserved.
