Sesame Street Adds Two Black Muppets as New Characters for 'Coming Together' Episodes on Race
Sesame Street is continuing its commitment to highlighting diverse voices and now has announced that the show is bringing two Black muppets in the mix.
Five-year-old Wesley Walker and his father, Elijah, are both apart of the franchise’s pact to address race-related issues in an age-appropriate way.
On Tuesday (March 23) a three-minute video was uploaded on the Sesame Street In Communities YouTube page titled “Explaining Race.” In the clip, Wesley and his father arrive in a park to have a discussion about the color of his skin being brown, Elmo also arrives to engage in the conversation.
“When people of all colors come together, we stand strong, like this tree,” Elijah tells Wes and Elmo.
According to an Instagram post shared by Sesame Street, the “Explaining Race” episode was included in “The ABCs of Racial Literacy” digital content series that is a part of the Coming Together effort geared towards emphasizing racial justice.
Coming Together is rooted in extensive research and consultation with experts to develop a groundbreaking Racial Justice educational framework and curriculum for young children, an official press release obtained by BET states.
“Children are not colorblind—not only do they first notice differences in race in infancy, but they also start forming their own sense of identity at a very young age,” said Jeanette Betancourt, a senior vice president at Sesame Workshop, in the release. “‘The ABCs of Racial Literacy’ is designed to foster open, age-appropriate conversations among families and support them in building racial literacy.”
Time.com reports that Wes’ mom, Naomi, is reportedly in development and is expected to appear in a future segment.
Watch the “Explaining Race” clip below:
