With smashing his goal of $1 million out of the park, LeVar Burton has plenty of words to explain his feelings. The “Star Trek: The Next Generation” star sat down with The Root in an exclusive chat updating everyone about the “Reading Rainbow” digital app.
“It’s still a bit overwhelming because it’s so unexpected. It’s just so unexpected,” Burton said. As the amount of the campaign grows (it’s at $3,488,229 as of June 5), so does the criticism. Burton has addressed criticism that “Reading Rainbow” is a “dumb idea,” and that he wants to profit off the project with very strong words.
“The idea that I am trying to somehow revive a failed endeavor is bullshit,” he says. “That’s right. I said it. Bullshit.”
The No Child Left Behind Act really is the culprit behind “Reading Rainbow’s” cancellation, and a generation that was raised on the program has come out in droves to show its support. “The majority of these donations are the $5 and the $10 and the $25, and I want to thank everybody who has donated $1,” Burton insists. “Please stop apologizing for not being able to give more because we’re getting it done. We’re going to be able to do much good with this money.”
The Kickstarter page has a new goal of $5 million dollars, which it will surely meet with 27 more days to go. And as the money grows, so do expectations. Burton believes that with the donations, “Reading Rainbow” can appear on more devices around the world. “We know that with $5 million we can really lock down universal access,” he told The Root. “We’re only on two platforms right now. We’re on the iPad … and the Kindle Fire. So with $5 million we can be on mobile devices, we can be on Android, which is really important.”
Sounds like a grand plan from a man who has helped three generations to understand.
You can read the full interview with The Root by clicking here.