This Black Man Right Here! Take a look, it’s in a book, a Reading Rainbow . . .

One of my passions without a doubt is literacy, writing and books. Most don’t know that reading has the power to break down the complexities of our ever changing society. It can serve as one of the greatest injections of empathy and compassion. It promotes articulation and analytical thinking while fostering a remembrance of hope and truth. Yet it saddens me in the age of information we have moved away from reading and become debilitated by short clips, memes and Cliff Notes. We want the answer to the rose without pulling back the pedals of her beauty.  
In saying that I have created my second weekly commentary which is called, “This Black Man Here!” It is a piece honoring the accomplishments of Black Men all over, while they are here. I want to give them their flowers now. 
Today on this magnificent Saturday, we honor one of my favorite actors, activists, directors, children’s television host and hopefully the future host of “Jeopardy”, Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. also known as LeVar Burton.
I was five years old when the mini series “Roots” aired on ABC. That was the first time I ever heard of the Middle Passage or the diabolical effects of slavery. LeVar Burton’s portrayal of the ancestral family member of Alex Haley (Kunta Kinte) was riveting and unforgettable especially to Black families who sat around the tv to watch the re-enactment of the ancestors.  
I  was more of a Sesame Street kid but was also very familiar with Burton hosting the children’s television show, “Reading Rainbow”. The powerful theme song, has been sung many times to my own children. “Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high, take a look, it’s in a book, a reading rainbow”. And as we continued to battle  achievement gaps amongst our melianated children, the exemplary work of Burton remained steady.
And now this man here, one of honor, has been given the opportunity to guest host Jeopardy to possibly become the new host. I want him to win. I want us to lift up this Black Man as he continues a legacy of consciousness and compassion. From the Star Trek enterprise to Roots, Burton has been such a gem to our village. On July 26th to the 30th, let’s watch Burton as he says, “This is Jeopardy”. 
This Black Man Right Here . . .