How to watch LeVar Burton at the L.A. Times Book Club
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What do inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, novelist Jodi Picoult and children’s author Judy Blume have in common?
Book bans.
All three writers were shocked to find their work abruptly removed from library shelves amid the nation’s dramatic surge in book banning.
What other books are being censored? What’s driving these challenges? What can students, parents, teachers and librarians do in their communities?
On May 24 actor and author LeVar Burton joined the L.A. Times Book Club to discuss the State of Banned Books at the ASU California Center.
You can watch Burton in conversation with Times editor Steve Padilla on YouTube.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Burton talked about who gets to tell their stories, how to raise kids who love reading and how students, parents, librarians and teachers can respond to book ban challenges in their communities and across the country.
“This is a battle for truth; a battle for reality,” Burton said. “People who are readers are much less disposed to being controlled than those who don’t.”
“I have a feeling people who are pushing book bans aren’t really readers.”
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Burton is an actor, author and founder of “Reading Rainbow,” the award-winning PBS series that introduced generations of children to the love of reading from 1983 to 2006. He is also known for his roles as Kunta Kinte in “Roots” and Geordi La Forge on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” and the third season of “Picard.”
An executive producer behind the new documentary “The Right to Read,” Burton says reading is not only a tool that unlocks doors to success but also a civil right.
The surge in book bans is the latest front in a long-running battle. The American Library Assn. reports that in 2022 a record 1,269 demands were made to restrict or ban books and other materials in schools and libraries — up from 156 in 2020. Many of the targeted books deal with LGBTQ+ topics or race.
“Large swaths of books, sometimes even entire school or classroom libraries are being removed,” says Allison Lee, Los Angeles director of PEN America.
Actor, author and ‘Reading Rainbow’ founder Levar Burton joins the L.A. Times Book Club to discuss the State of Banned Books.
Every month, the Los Angeles Times Book Club hosts community discussions with authors and newsmakers and invites readers to join the conversation.
On June 8, actor Elliot Page will discuss his upcoming memoir “Pageboy” at the Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. Get tickets.
On July 19, author Luis Alberto Urrea will discuss his novel, “Good Night, Irene,” a story inspired by his mother’s service on the front lines of World War II. Get tickets.
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As attempts to ban or restrict books reach a record high in the U.S., public libraries and school districts have become new battlegrounds for the nation’s ever-present culture wars.
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