November 18th 2023.
Levar Burton hosted the 74th National Book Awards on November 16th. As he began his opening remarks, he made a joke directed at the Moms For Liberty, a group classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its opposition to LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curricula.
“Before we get going, are there any Moms for Liberty in the house? Moms for Liberty? No? Good. Then hands will not need to be thrown tonight,” he said.
Burton’s joke was met with cheers from the crowd and laughter from Black Twitter. Moms For Liberty, however, responded with outrage. In a post on their Twitter/X account, they said “American moms weep as a childhood favorite, Reading Rainbow, calls for physical attacks against us because we are protecting the innocence of our children. LeVar Burton, why have you sunk so low? Threatening physical violence against women?”
Tiffany Justice, the co-founder of the group, claimed to Fox News that Burton’s joke was “disheartening” and questioned what he was trying to hide that he felt physical violence was necessary to protect his agenda. Moms For Liberty has been busy pushing for their candidates to get elected in school boards, and in 2022, half of the 250 candidates the group endorsed won their elections.
The National Book Foundation, which presents the National Book Awards, issued a statement before the ceremony, hoping that everyone attending the event would come in a spirit of understanding, compassion, and humanity. It seems the statement was a precaution in case any politically charged remarks were made that night.
Overall, while LeVar Burton’s joke was met with some cheers, it also sparked a lot of outrage among the Moms For Liberty group. It is clear that this group is determined to fight for what they believe in, despite the controversy it may bring.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
