Levar Burton is without question, the man. Reading Rainbow was one of the first TV shows I remember watching, and Levar Burton was one of my first idols. That show was a perfect pairing of information and books, and I can still piece together the theme song.
Reading Rainbow was like watching Discovery Channel for kids. I always had fun watching, and I always learned something. Among a few other influences, Reading Rainbow was a major force in my enjoyment of reading. It made me interested in books, and thats a very good place to be. My dad taught me to read, and my parents made sure we had loads of books, and Reading Rainbow helped insure that I stayed interested in reading.
Reading Rainbow also played an interesting role in the way I grew up viewing race. I can’t remember the first time I was aware of racism, but it certainly wasn’t early. Like I said, Levar Burton was an early idol, a role model to me. I don’t remember considering that he was black, just that he was a cool guy who liked books. I didn’t know much about Star Trek, but I knew Geordie LaForge was my favorite character, thanks entirely to Reading Rainbow. And hey, now I get to follow the guy on Twitter. So as they say, I’ve come full circle.
Influences is a series of articles about the things, ideas, and people that helped to shape who I am today.
