LeVar Burton to lead 2023 Banned Books Week as honorary chair
Full Press Release: https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2023/09/levar-burton-lead-2023-banned-books-week-honorary-chair
Portion of the release:
NEW YORK CITY - Beloved reading advocate, writer, and television and film star LeVar Burton will lead this year's Banned Books Week, which takes place October 1–7, 2023. Burton is the first actor to serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, an annual weeklong event that highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.
Recognizable for his groundbreaking roles in the landmark television series Roots and the Star Trek franchise, Burton's work as a literacy advocate has inspired generations. Many in the book community can trace their love of reading and advocacy for the right to read to Burton's treasured PBS children's series, Reading Rainbow. Burton has continued to inspire readers with the enormously popular LeVar Burton Reads podcast. A long-time champion for reading and access to books, Burton executive produced The Right to Read. This award-winning 2023 documentary film positions the literacy crisis in America as a civil rights issue.
"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," says Burton. "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."
Burton will headline a live virtual conversation with Banned Books Week Youth Honorary Chair Da'Taeveyon Daniels about censorship and advocacy at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 4. The event will stream live on Instagram (@banned_books_week). Visit BannedBooksWeek.org for more details....
------------------------------
Aimee Strittmatter
American Library Association
She/Her/Hers
------------------------------