LeVar Burton Releases YouTube Video Series Depicting Being Black in America

Savas Abadsidis January 7, 2020

LeVar Burton has released and narrates a series of YouTube video series called This is My Story about being Black in America.

Burton said in a Tweet: Spoiler Alert: Unless you have walked the walk of the African American experience in this country, it is difficult — not impossible — but difficult, to know what that journey is on the daily. Trust me when I say, being Black in America is not for the weak of heart.

Spoiler Alert: Unless you have walked the walk of the African American experience in this country, it is difficult — not impossible — but difficult, to know what that journey is on the daily. Trust me when I say, being Black in America is not for the weak of heart.
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) January 2, 2020

“There was an America before Roots and there was an America after Roots and post Roots, America was a greater, more enlightened nation. We came to a better, deeper, more informed understanding of the evil nature, intent, and outcomes of chattel slavery as practiced in America,” Burton said on Twitter. “As a result, I fervently believe in the power of Storytelling to move the culture forward. To that end, some friends and I have created a few videos, 6 in all, that chronicle some of the racist experiences most Black people who live in America, have in common.”

Burton wants to educate the masses about the racism and microaggressions that affect Black Americans. “The first installment of, This Is My Story, is an incident from my own life. The others are real life experiences of some of my friends, told by me. Like ROOTS did so long ago, my intention in sharing these stories is to provide anecdotal context for being Black in America,” he tweeted.

The first installment of, This Is My Story, is an incident from my own life. The others are real life experiences of some of my friends, told by me. Like ROOTS did so long ago, my intention in sharing these stories is to provide anecdotal context for being Black in America.
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) January 2, 2020

Burton will next appear in Star Trek: Picard on CBS All Access where he will reprise his role from Star Trek: The Next Generation as engineer, Lt. Geordi LaForge. Watch the first entry of This Is My Story below.