Sesame Workshop to provide bias training after alleged racist incident at Sesame Place goes viral

Brett T. | 4:42 PM on July 19, 2022

Consider this post schadenfreude — we’re taking great delight in Sesame Street, which is as woke as it gets, being accused of racism and promising to roll out bias training for its employees after an alleged racist incident went viral on social media. Sesame Street used to have a “black” Muppet back in the ’70s by the name of Roosevelt Franklin, but he disappeared. It was only last year that Sesame Street introduced two black Muppets, the father of the pair explaining to Elmo that “the color of our skin is an important part of who we are.”

But now that a video has gone viral of Rosita blowing off two young black girls at Sesame Place, Sesame Workshop has promised to do better:

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that runs Sesame Street, says it will "conduct bias training and a thorough review of the ways in which they engage families and guests" at Sesame Place after a video of a potential racial bias incident went viral online. https://t.co/ZPSlSNYQU4

— ABC News (@ABC) July 19, 2022

Here’s the video of Rosita:

#BabyPaige & her cute lil friends went to @SesamePlace this weekend to celebrate Paige's 4th birthday & this is how #SesamePlace treated these beautiful Black children. I'm HOT. pic.twitter.com/wATjpRzUF1

— Leslie Mac (@LeslieMac) July 17, 2022

The look of hurt on those innocent faces when that Sesame Place character ignored those two girls. Racism starts early and the world is constantly reminding you that you’re less than. I really hope that this will not weaken their self esteem. They need to be loved on.

— Stephanie. (@qsteph) July 18, 2022

This is the face of modern racism. We can't turn away. pic.twitter.com/IuAR2pBwNc

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) July 19, 2022

ABC News reports:

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that runs Sesame Street, said it will “conduct bias training and a thorough review of the ways in which they engage families and guests” at Sesame Place after a video of a potential racial bias incident went viral online.

“As a global nonprofit educational organization with a mission to help children grow smarter, stronger and kinder, Sesame Workshop has always stood for respect, inclusion and belonging and is committed to providing the highest quality engaging experiences for all children and families,” the organization said in a statement.