2009 Black History Month: Favorite Black TV Characters (#5)

By: Luke Florence

My Favorite Black TV Characters

#5 - February 24th - LeVar Burton - "Reading Rainbow"

Take a look, it's in a book ... a reading rainbow.

The first spot in the top five goes to LeVar Burton, who was the executive producer and the host of one of the best children television shows of all-time, Reading Rainbow. It was a show that stressed the importance of reading, being curious, and gaining a thirst for knowledge. I didn't know it at the time, but watching that show has had a resounding positive impact on my life.

Yes, we all know Burton from his time on Star Trek, but that's not why he is on this list. It is solely for his performance on Reading Rainbow. As the host, he took us along on adventures, always visiting interesting places along the way. What I loved best about Burton was his child-like wonder. He reflected my thoughts and feelings as if I was actually right there beside him. In a sense, he kind of became part of our family, at least in my head.

But he also had that distinct voice, and unique way of speaking. If he made an audio book of the Dictionary, I would listen to it. You can tell Burton is smart - but not smug, - thoughtful, intelligent, and any other adjective that depicts one being knowledgeable.

Reading Rainbow in it's bare essence, is a show designed to get children reading. For me, as a young kid, this was no problem. I loved reading. It came easy to me. During class, I prided myself on being the first one done reading a story. But, the biggest thing I took away from Reading Rainbow, was my imagination.

If you read my random thoughts, you can tell that I truly had a sense of imagination as a child. I owe this to Reading Rainbow. "I can go anywhere ... I can be anything." That tune completely resonated with me. So, in a weird - but true - way, I owe my creativeness to LeVar Burton, which is why he is so far up on this list.

Showing that the world is without a doubt circular. Look who made an appearance on an episode of Reading Rainbow. It just so happens to be my #28 selection. I could write a book about the six degrees of separation surrounding this list.

Well, we are down to the final four. Any guesses?? I'd love to hear them.

Take a second now and check out Barnes' blog (located on my sidebar) to see his reaction to my #5 pick. Still can't believe we only have four left.

Hint for #4: Think of a song by Destiny's Child. That should give you the title of the show this character was on. From there you are on your own. Good luck.

Until tomorrow, "read it, roll it, hole it."