Behind “Sesame Street” the nonprofit is diving into the racist discourse.
A new initiative by Sesame Workshop aims to teach children “The ABC of Racial Literacy” with the help of two black Muppets, Wes and his father Eliza.
The videos and activities are part of Coming Together, a company arm that emphasizes social justice, According to a statement from the workshop. Resources acknowledges that children and children “notice material difference” and gives parents the tools to turn it into a sociable moment.
“We believe in a world where all children can reach their full potential and humanity – and do so in celebration of their race, ethnicity and cultures,” the statement reads. “Together with the experts, we have prepared appropriate developmental resources to make your child smarter, stronger, and kinder and to help guide you as an uplifter for racism.”
In one section, Elmo says he wants to know “why Wes’s skin is brown.” Elijah responds that it is caused by melanin, “something that is inside each of our bodies that makes the exterior of our body the color of the skin.”
Elmo asked to further the mind of a curious child, “But if we all have melanin, why are all the colors?” – To which Elijah responds that the amount of melanin in everyone’s body varies.
While deeply rooted in racial identity, Eliza states that “the color of our skin is an important part of us, but we all should know that it’s okay that we all look different in so many ways.”
He wraps up the moment to learn that “we are all part of the human race.”
This is not the first time the long-running Kids Show has facilitated tough conversations for its youngest audience, touching on issues ranging from cases of autism to homelessness to incest. In 2019, the show addressed the opioid crisis with the help of Karli, a Muppet who finds out to her mother that she is struggling with a lethal drug addiction.
But the lesson has not always ended so well. First The show’s black Muppet, Roosevelt Franklin, was dropped from the show in 1975 after critics said the character had maintained negative stereotypes about black children – he was a nuisance and was often subjected to post-school detention. Used to be sent When “Sesame Street” addressed Death-On in the 1983 episode, parents expressed displeasure over the death of actor Will Lee.
And who can forget when anxiety over childhood obesity forced the Cookie Monster to go on a diet? This was met with the fear that he would abandon his trademark snack altogether, and thus his Happy living.
Muppet myself Took to twitter To reduce stress.
“Time to put an end to the rumors,” he wrote in 2010. “Yes, I eat vegetables. No, the vegetable is not called a monster! The whole thing is silly
Leave a Reply