LeVar Burton Calls On Howard Graduates To Step Into Their Purpose: “Tell Your Authentic Story. Find Your Authentic Self” – Essence
Howard University’s 157th Commencement was a historic celebration. Held on Saturday, May 10, on the iconic Yard—the university’s Upper Quadrangle—the ceremony honored the largest graduating class in Howard’s history, awarding more than 3,100 degrees across 14 schools and colleges. Graduates represented 44 states and 29 countries.
But one of the most unforgettable moments of the day came from the commencement orator himself — Emmy, Grammy, NAACP Image and Peabody Award-winning actor and literacy advocate, LeVar Burton. Ahead of the ceremony, Burton sat down with ESSENCE to speak about the moment, his message and what lies ahead. “Can I share with you that I feel like I’ve been waiting for this invitation for a long time?” he said. “Everything happens for a reason, and I think that this invitation coming at this particular moment is perfect.”
His speech on the Yard echoed that sentiment — joyful, honest and deeply reflective.
As Howard’s president, Ben Vinson III, introduced Burton, citing his iconic roles in “Roots,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Reading Rainbow,” the crowd erupted in applause.
“LeVar Burton has helped shape the American imagination,” Vinson said, before awarding him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Visibly moved, Burton stood in silence for a moment before leading the crowd in a rendition of the “Reading Rainbow” theme song, “Butterfly in the Sky.” From there, he offered both celebration and challenge, urging graduates to honor their gifts, walk in truth and live without fear. “Life is not a spectator sport,” he told the Class of 2025. “You must show up with energy and enthusiasm. You must let the universe know you are here.”
Over the next few minutes, Burton offered both celebration and challenge, calling on graduates to honor their gifts, stand in their truth and remain unshaken by fear. “You see, I believe that we have all come to make a contribution,” he said. “It is incumbent upon us to discover what that gift is… so that ultimately, we might make good on the promise of that gift and deliver it to the world.”
The speech took a striking turn as Burton confronted systemic racism. “In 2025, America is still addicted to its racism,” he said. “You may disagree with my point of view. However, you cannot dismiss my lived experience as an American.” “Only in America could a descendant of slaves, for whom simply knowing how to read was once punishable by death, grow up and become a celebrated champion for literacy and the written word. This, too, is America.”
Midway through, he invited the audience to join him in a one-minute moment of silence — a gratitude ritual he learned from the late Fred Rogers. “Close your eyes and think of someone who saw something special in you,” he said. “None of us get through this life on our own.”
In his conversation with ESSENCE, Burton expanded on that theme, offering advice to young people trying to find their place in the world. “Begin that journey as early as you possibly can,” he said. “It is difficult, if not impossible, to have impact on the world unless you know who you are and what you’re about.”
He also spoke about his mother, Erma Jean Burton, who worked tirelessly to provide a quality education for him and his sisters. “She believed that in America, a quality education was the leveler of the playing field,” he shared. “She instilled in me that it would be necessary for me to be twice as good as my classmates in order to be seen as even close to being equal.”
Burton also emphasized community, optimism and rejecting fear. “Fear is the tool of the colonizer,” he said. “We have to make ourselves immune to the okey-doke.”
When asked what he hopes the graduates take away, Burton was clear: “Tell your authentic story. Find your authentic self. Don’t be afraid to live from your authentic self.” The speech ended with a long standing ovation. “Go out there, deliver the gift that you’ve come to give, and do your utmost best to make this world a better one than the one we are handing to you,” he said.
Looking ahead, Burton shared that he’s deep into writing his first memoir, set to publish later this year. He’ll also return to London to film 30 new episodes of “Trivial Pursuit,” his game show on The CW.
In addition to Burton, four other changemakers received honorary degrees at the ceremony — neuroscientist Dr. Emery Neal Brown, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Northern Ireland’s first Black mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey. Superstar Toni Braxton was also in attendance to celebrate her son, Diezel Braxton, who was part of Howard University’s Class of 2025.
But it was Burton’s presence, his words, his voice and his legacy, that anchored the day. “There’s gonna be another day. You hear me? There’s gonna be another day,” Burton said in his speech, quoting a line improvised by Louis Gossett Jr. in “Roots,” a project that marked his professional acting debut as a teenager. “That day has arrived,” Burton continued. “This now moment is yours to shape.”
