Take My Word for It A Memoir

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.

LeVar Burton played Kunta Kinte in the acclaimed mini-series Roots, and he starred in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge. Other credits include a regular role on the CBS series Christy, and he served as host and contributing producer of the Emmy Award-winning children’s program Reading Rainbow, for which he received twelve Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award. He is an educator committed to improving children’s education through innovative uses of storytelling.

• Publisher: Random House
  
• Publish Date: November 10, 2026
  
• Pages: 352
  
• Language: English
  
• Type: Hardcover
  
• EAN/UPC: 9798217198276
  
• Dimensions: 9.3 X 6.1 X 0.0 inches | 1.3 pounds
  
• BISAC Categories: Biography & Memoir