Sesame Street teaching ABCs of Racism

On Tuesday, March 23, Sesame Workshop announced a new set of resources as part of their Coming Together initiative called “The ABCs of Racial Literacy” that are “designed to help all families celebrate their own unique identities, while also providing age-appropriate language and strategies to answer sometimes-tough questions around race and racism.”

Plus, we have two new Muppets to welcome into the Sesame Street community! Sesame Workshop announced two new Black Muppets, 5-year-old Wes and his father Elijah.

“Sesame Workshop has always stood for diversity, inclusion, equity, and kindness. As a trusted source for families, we have a responsibility to speak out for racial justice and empower families to have conversations about race and identity with their children at a young age,” Kay Wilson Stallings, executive vice president of Creative and Production, Sesame Workshop, said in a statement.

“The work to dismantle racism begins by helping children understand what racism is and how it hurts and impacts people. Sadly, today’s announcement comes at a time of racial and social discord when many families are in need of support in talking to their children about racism. We’re proud to reaffirm our Coming Together commitment to racial justice, which will be woven into new Sesame Workshop content for years to come.”

In a new music video, the Sesame Street Muppets celebrate their own unique identities; the song, “Giant,” is available on all major platforms through Warner Music Group’s Arts Music.

In another video coming soon, Rosita’s mom and her friend Sofia help Rosita cope with a racist incident in the grocery store, while also celebrating speaking Spanish.

Additional resources include videos featuring real families talking about their experiences, activities for families to do together, and talking points and conversation starters for families.

“At Sesame Workshop, we look at every issue through the lens of a child. 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,” Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president, Sesame Workshop, said in a statement.

“‘The ABCs of Racial Literacy’ is designed to foster open, age-appropriate conversations among families and support them in building racial literacy. By encouraging these much-needed conversations through Coming Together, we can help children build a positive sense of identity and value the identities of others.”

About Post Author

Comments

From the Web

Skip to content
Verified by MonsterInsights