LeVar Burton on 'Roots' and 'Star Trek'

LeVar Burton is proud of his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation playing Geordi LaForge.

As reported at Southeasttexaslive.com, Burton has played some memorable roles but he is most proud of his work on Reading Rainbow.

In 1977's legendary mini-series Roots, he played Kunta Kinte, a slave brought from Africa to the United States in the 1700s. "February, Black History Month, this is a big month for Kunta," said Burton. "Half the country thinks that's my name anyway."

Regarding playing LaForge on The Next Generation, Burton said that he was proud of the idea of the show, which treated all races equally. "You know 'Star Trek' had the first interracial kiss on network TV," he said. "That's getting it done."

Burton still owns the visor that his character wore. "Don't be surprised if you ever see those on Ebay," he said. "They're going to put my daughter through college."

Although he enjoyed working on and was proud of his work on both Roots and The Next Generation, Burton admitted that his work on Reading Rainbow was especially close to his heart. "It made my mama proud," he said of the show.

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