LeVar Burton is getting a much deserved lifetime achievement award for his decades of service
Couldn't go to a better guy

Our face when we think of LeVar Burton
Since 1983, LeVar Burton has helped children discover the wonder and adventure of books with “Reading Rainbow.” For his 23 years of exceptional educational programming, Burton will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the first ever Children’s & Family Emmy Awards. And it couldn’t be more well deserved.
Levar Burton Television GIFGiphy
But you don’t have to take our word for it…
Every episode began with the beloved and iconic theme song (“take a look, with a book, Reading Rainboooooooow”) and featured a different children’s picture book, often narrated by a celebrity, which was followed by a segment where a child would give their own book review. All before Burton would sign off with a friendly “I’ll see you next time.” It was a wholesome, heartwarming staple for bookworms for 23 years.
But when the show got canceled in 2006, that was not “Reading Rainbow”’s final chapter. Through his company RRKidz, Burton began a Kickstarter campaign called “Bring Reading Rainbow Back” in order to launch the show as a new app. The app promised to bring classrooms free access to a library of interactive books and video field trips. The campaign was a massive success, and the goal amount of $1 million was reached within only 24 hours, according to NPR, making it the most widely supported Kickstarter campaign ever.
A video of Burton’s beautiful, tearful reaction to the good news can be seen below. If there’s any doubt as to the genuine passion this man has for this project, this is a must-watch.
Despite the campaign's success, it did stir up some less than positive aftermath. WNED filed a lawsuit against Burton and RRKidz over contract and trademark violations. But still, the conflicts seem more or less resolved with some rebranding on Burton’s part. And no matter what, I think we can all agree that he will always be the heart and soul of the show.
It seems very fitting that a man who brought so much innovation to children’s programming will be receiving his award during a brand new ceremony. After all, Burton brought us many “firsts.” The Children and Family Emmy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on Dec 11th, and Burton will be taking home his prize then.
Though Butron seemed surprised by the news (posting a simple “Whoa” to Twitter), he has touched so many lives that it seems like a no-brainer.
I just hope he has room left on his trophy shelf. As long as it doesn’t take the place of a book!
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."