I have not seen the video. Those who love me most have urged me not to. One of the truths playing Kunta Kinte taught me is that the dehumanization of Black people was necessary to the success of our enslavement. Throughout every stage of the prodigious growth and advancement of this Nation that core belief; the less than human nature of my people, Black people, has consistently remained a constant component of our national identity. I doubt that this will ever change.

Happy Sunday, y’all!
This morning, I feel like I am taking the first step toward recovering from the impact these past six years have had on me. Mind, this is simply an initial step on the journey forward and one that I welcome with genuine relief. However true healing will come with time. That and my willingness to continue to believe in and fight for an America which sees and values all of us!

In Memorium, a thread.

On this Memorial Day, I remember a nation at war with itself
issuing a clarion call to men, 3/5ths of human in your eyes, and were enlisted and enticed with freedoms promised but then ultimately denied. Then with the world at war, not once but twice, we cried, “At last, this will be the open door we’ll use to stride into democracy’s embrace!”

A Thread: #bydhttmwfi

https://twitter.com/levarburton/status/1366926752564400128

I genuinely believe that when we know better, it is incumbent upon us to do better!

#ROOTS was my first professional audition. I was a 19 year old Theater major, @USC when I played Kunta Kinte. My first day on the set the legendary @IAmCicelyTyson played my mother, Bings Kinte. @DrMayaAngelou played my grandmother, Nyo Boto. I was in the big leagues, fo’ sho!

FTR - It is not “training” that causes a cop to put a 6yr old girl-child, facedown on asphalt, with weapon drawn, no less; it is the ability to de-humanize the person in front of you. You must divorce yourself from reality.
#BlackLivesMatter You must decide or be convinced that a human being’s worth, their value, is written on their skin. As policy and practice, it is the erroneous belief that there exists a strata of society that are deserving of such treatment. THIS MUST STOP!
#BlackLivesMatter

I’ve been busting my brain for about a week now trying to figure out how to do a live-streamed version of #LeVarBurtonReads. I figured that during this difficult time I could contribute by reading aloud to folks who could use some diversion for themselves and their families. In order to avoid legal complications, I’ve gone down the rabbit hole searching through volumes of short stories in the public domain for appropriate content for families and have come up empty.

So, while attending a friend’s book signing yesterday in LA, I went to say hello to someone I hadn’t seen in a while and not since their partner died a few years back. This person is someone I’ve known for sometime but I wouldn’t necessarily call our relationship close. As I greeted him and he introduced me around to his friends he suddenly and without warning or permission reached up and vigorously ruffled the back and top of my head.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the state of race relations in America. One thing I learned from the success of ROOTS (if you don’t know, you better ask somebody) 42 years ago, was the power of storytelling as a way to bridge the gap between races. 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.

Dear @NikkiHaley,
The Flag of the Confederacy is by it’s own definition a symbol of racism, the notion of white supremacy itself and a desire to continue to differentiate based on color, when considering the rights and privileges of Americans. #bydhttmwfi I direct you to the Confederate States Constitution, ratified in March of 1861, a document which amounted to a declaration of war with the Untied States of America. History informs us of how that conflict played out.