Reading Rainbow Host LeVar Burton’s New Lesson: How Not to Get Shot by the Cops

So he shared his strategy with the world.

By Jamilah King Jul 02, 2013

LeVar Burton is best known as the former host of the children’s show "Reading Rainbow." But he has a new lesson that he’s sharing with viewers: how not to get shot by the police.

During a segment from CNN’s new documentary "The N Word" on Monday, Burton explained that, as a black man in America, he’s often stopped by the police. And he’s developed a ritual to avoid being shot by officers. 

"This is a practice I engage in every time I am stopped by law enforcement," Burton said. "And I’ve taught this to my son who is now 33 as part of my duty as a father to ensure that he knows the kind of world in which he’s growing up. I take my hat off, I take my sunglasses off, I put them on passenger’s side. I roll down my window, I take my hands, I stick them outside the window and on the door of the driver’s side because I want that officer to be as relaxed as he can be."

(H/T The Raw Story)