Actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton told a packed Union Wisconsin Room Feb. 24 that his love of reading came from his mother and that other mentors in his life included Alex Haley and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
Haley wrote “Roots: The Saga of an American Family.” Burton first gained fame for his portrayal of Kunta Kinte in the TV miniseries.
Burton’s talk was part of UWM’s annual Geek Week as well as a tribute to Black History Month.
Fans began lining up well ahead of the 7 p.m. start time, with at least 50 people in line by 6 p.m., according to Ellie Crean of Student Involvement.
Students Jacob Ebben and Kate Santell nabbed front row seats for the event. As longtime “Star Trek: The Next Generation” fans – which featured Burton as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge – they were “ecstatic” to see Burton in person.
“I’m impressed that UWM was able to get someone of this high caliber,” Ebben said.
Burton approached the podium to a standing ovation from a crowd of students and others of many ages.
“It’s a unique and solitary pleasure to be a featured presence at Geek Week,” he said, adding that he was a geek growing up.
Antonio Loggins and Ayanna Bost, UWM sophomores, said they came to see the man they grew up watching on “Reading Rainbow” – and left feeling a connection with Burton, with his inspirational stories about his mother and her influence on his passion for literacy.
“UWM is striving to bring in people that help the community and they want students to be impacted by that,” Bost said. One of the first questions she heard was from a student who said Burton inspired her.
“Obviously UWM really values education, and they got someone that they know a lot of generations can connect to, to bring everyone together,” Loggins said.
