LeVar Burton Named Honorary Banned Books Week Chair

Reading advocate, writer, and television and film actor LeVar Burton will serve as honorary chair of this year’s Banned Books Week, to be held October 1–7. Burton is the first actor to serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, an annual weeklong event highlighting the value of free and open access to information and supporting the freedom to seek and to express ideas.

“Books bring us together. They teach us about the world and each other. The ability to read and access books is a fundamental right, and a necessity for life-long success,” Burton said. “But books are under attack. They’re being removed from libraries and schools. Shelves have been emptied because of a small number of people and their misguided efforts toward censorship. Public advocacy campaigns like Banned Books Week are essential to helping people understand the scope of book censorship and what they can do to fight it. I’m honored to lead Banned Books Week 2023.”

Burton will headline a live virtual conversation with Banned Books Week youth honorary chair Da’Taeveyon Daniels about censorship and advocacy at 8:00 p.m. ET on October 4. The event will stream live on Instagram.