LeVar Burton Says John Amos 'Changed the Way Black Men Were Perceived on TV'

LeVar Burton is paying tribute to John Amos following news of the actor's death ... crediting the late star for making history in Hollywood.

We caught up with the actor outside ABC Studios in NYC Friday, where LB had nothing but good things to say about the late TV legend. As LeVar put it ... John's legacy is to be celebrated, especially regarding his work as James Evans on "Good Times."

He noted ... "For me, personally, John's legacy will be that he changed the way Black men were perceived on television in America. James Evans was a householder and, prior to that, Black men were really portrayed as absentee fathers, deadbeat dads, that sort of thing. Only good for prison and jail. John Amos changed that."

News of John's death broke Tuesday, when the actor's son, K.C. Amos, announced in a statement his father passed away from natural causes in Los Angeles.

John's daughter, Shannon Amos, was immediately concerned when K.C. shared their dad died back in August ... and John had been cremated 9 days after his death. Shannon says she learned of her father's passing in the media ... noting she's left with many questions in the aftermath of the tragic news.