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    Take My Word for It

    A Memoir

    Author LeVar Burton
    with Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts
    Hardcover
    $32.00 US
    Random House Group | Random House
    On sale Nov 10, 2026 | 352 Pages | 9798217198276
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    The legendary actor behind Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Reading Rainbow shares never-before-told stories from a life that has shaped generations—told at last on his own terms.

    This is my attempt to pull back the curtain. Not just on the roles I’ve played, but on the life I’ve lived. The fears. The fight. The survival. And yes, the joy. All of it.

    Tracing the different eras of his life—from Kunta Kinte to Geordi La Forge to Reading Rainbow and far beyond the camera—celebrated actor LeVar Burton fearlessly opens up about growing up during the Civil Rights Movement, being raised by a remarkable mother, and discovering his calling as a storyteller. He explores how acting has served as both a source of transformation and an escape from the most difficult parts of his past, while also confronting the challenges of being a parent, husband, and householder.

    As Burton honors the loved ones whose strength and resilience shaped him in this inspiring memoir, he also asks what we owe to our ancestors and to each other, reflecting on the deep necessity he’s always felt advocating for liberation and equity. Generous, deeply moving, and illustrated with personal family photos, Take My Word For It is a courageous self-portrait of an iconic artist.
    “There’s no longer any need to question whether we have hyperbolized the light we have all claimed is emanating from LeVar Burton, because we now have documentation of the source. This testament proves that Burton is who we think he is, but, more important, who he knows and has willed himself to be: a journeyman, rich in spirit, working and Working. A blessing!”— #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds

    “LeVar Burton’s voice is one of those rare ones that finds you before you find it. He’s spent his life asking us to trust the power of stories. In Take My Word for It, he finally trusts us with his own. This is the man behind Kunta, told with honesty and hard-won warmth. It reads like a long conversation with someone you’ve always wanted to know. Have a seat.”—New York Times bestselling author Nnedi Okorafor

    “LeVar Burton’s Take My Word for It is both a gift and an invitation. His reverence, respect, and complete understanding of the power of story permeate this intimate weaving of his own life’s narrative threads. The tapestry created depicts a man in full—spiritual seeker, literacy educator, artistic explorer, social justice warrior, and conscious human. This beautiful book encourages us all to see our lives as aggregates of all those whose struggle and sacrifice brought us into being—and to bear with honor the responsibilities owed to all who will follow.”—Noah Wyle; actor, writer, director
    © Sage East
    LeVar Burton played Kunta Kinte in the acclaimed mini-series Roots. He starred in both Star Trek: The Next Generation films as Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge, the role he made famous on television. Other credits include a regular role on the CBS series Christy, and he serves as host and contributing producer of the Emmy award-winning children’s program Reading Rainbow. View titles by LeVar Burton

    About

    The legendary actor behind Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Reading Rainbow shares never-before-told stories from a life that has shaped generations—told at last on his own terms.

    This is my attempt to pull back the curtain. Not just on the roles I’ve played, but on the life I’ve lived. The fears. The fight. The survival. And yes, the joy. All of it.

    Tracing the different eras of his life—from Kunta Kinte to Geordi La Forge to Reading Rainbow and far beyond the camera—celebrated actor LeVar Burton fearlessly opens up about growing up during the Civil Rights Movement, being raised by a remarkable mother, and discovering his calling as a storyteller. He explores how acting has served as both a source of transformation and an escape from the most difficult parts of his past, while also confronting the challenges of being a parent, husband, and householder.

    As Burton honors the loved ones whose strength and resilience shaped him in this inspiring memoir, he also asks what we owe to our ancestors and to each other, reflecting on the deep necessity he’s always felt advocating for liberation and equity. Generous, deeply moving, and illustrated with personal family photos, Take My Word For It is a courageous self-portrait of an iconic artist.

    Praise

    “There’s no longer any need to question whether we have hyperbolized the light we have all claimed is emanating from LeVar Burton, because we now have documentation of the source. This testament proves that Burton is who we think he is, but, more important, who he knows and has willed himself to be: a journeyman, rich in spirit, working and Working. A blessing!”— #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds

    “LeVar Burton’s voice is one of those rare ones that finds you before you find it. He’s spent his life asking us to trust the power of stories. In Take My Word for It, he finally trusts us with his own. This is the man behind Kunta, told with honesty and hard-won warmth. It reads like a long conversation with someone you’ve always wanted to know. Have a seat.”—New York Times bestselling author Nnedi Okorafor

    “LeVar Burton’s Take My Word for It is both a gift and an invitation. His reverence, respect, and complete understanding of the power of story permeate this intimate weaving of his own life’s narrative threads. The tapestry created depicts a man in full—spiritual seeker, literacy educator, artistic explorer, social justice warrior, and conscious human. This beautiful book encourages us all to see our lives as aggregates of all those whose struggle and sacrifice brought us into being—and to bear with honor the responsibilities owed to all who will follow.”—Noah Wyle; actor, writer, director

    Author

    © Sage East
    LeVar Burton played Kunta Kinte in the acclaimed mini-series Roots. He starred in both Star Trek: The Next Generation films as Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge, the role he made famous on television. Other credits include a regular role on the CBS series Christy, and he serves as host and contributing producer of the Emmy award-winning children’s program Reading Rainbow. View titles by LeVar Burton

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