Actor, director, and educator LeVar Burton will receive the first-ever Insight Award from the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation. He will be honored during the NAB Show Welcome on April 25 in Las Vegas.
The Insight Award recognizes an individual or organization for an outstanding artistic or journalistic work or body that enhances the public’s understanding of the role of media in our society. Burton will be recognized for his work and contributions to broadcasting, history, and American culture.
Burton’s best-known acting credits are as Kunta Kinte in the acclaimed television mini-series “Roots” and as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” which aired in syndication from 1987 to 1994 and launched several feature films. Burton was the host and executive producer of “Reading Rainbow,” one of the longest-running children’s television shows in history, during its 26-year run from 1983 to 2009.
“Guided by a belief in the power of reading, for decades LeVar Burton has been a beloved champion of childhood literacy, a promoter of education through entertainment, and a champion of the importance of lifelong learning,” said LABF co-chairs Jack Goodman and Heidi Raphael. “The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation is thrilled to present the inaugural Insight Award to LeVar Burton, who not only embodies the spirit of this honor but sets a high standard for all future recipients.”
