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For many of us, Reading Rainbow was a childhood staple. Hosted by LeVar Burton, the show normalized Black culture. We learned why the mosquito buzzes in people’s ears, how to follow the drinking gourd, and the power of Black stories.
Though the show was originally created to help kids read over the summer, Reading Rainbow helped raise a generation of avid readers who believed in unity. Today, as hatemongers seek to sow division and wipe out our stories, the timing of the show’s return couldn’t be more perfect.
Over 40 percent of the banned books are stories about our culture, lived experiences, and community power. Even when the reading and publishing communities fight back, our books are not being returned to shelves.
Couple that with MAGA’s efforts to remove our contributions from schools and public spaces, and we have a full-blown intellectual assault on our communities – and that’s in addition to the physical terrorism we already face. Reading Rainbow is a return to reading and hearing our stories.
When we lose our stories, we lose ourselves. Watch the old-school and new-school Reading Rainbow, old-school. Read, write, and tell our stories. And above all, never be afraid to learn our stories for yourself.