Emmy, Grammy, and Peabody Award winner LeVar Burton will serve as the Commencement speaker for Howard University's 157th Commencement next month. The Burton-led commencement ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 10 a.m on the university’s main campus. Burton will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the ceremony.

The university's 14 schools and colleges will produce some of the largest graduating classes in its history, with students earning bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in a variety of fields. Additionally, from May 7–10, each college and school will host ceremonies to honor and recognize its graduates.

Burton has inspired generations of children to love reading with his iconic show Reading Rainbow. His wildly successful LeVar Burton Reads podcast currently has over 175 episodes and 25 million downloads. He also worked as executive producer on the movie “The Right to Read,” which frames America's reading crisis as a civil rights issue. With the goal of telling tales that promote empathy, celebrate diversity, and strengthen communities, his production company LeVar Burton Entertainment, creates content for the film, television, podcast, and publishing industries.

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Throughout his decades-long career, LeVar Burton has worked as an actor, director, producer, author, and podcaster, making him one of the most prolific and influential artists in the world. He has won seven NAACP Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Children's & Family Emmys, fifteen Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and a Grammy Award. Starring roles in the epic miniseries “Roots,” the groundbreaking and defining examination of American slavery and its effects, are among his body of work. Additionally, Burton played Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge in the television series and motion pictures of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

In addition to Burton, the following individuals will also receive honorary Doctorate degrees for their life’s work: Emery Neal Brown, Ph.D., the Honorable Barbara Lee, Lilian Seenoi-Barr, and Natasha Trethewey.