Sesame Street stands up to racism
October 9, 2020
Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organisation behind Sesame Street, will address racism – and model how children can stand up to it – in The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special.
Designed as a co-viewing experience for children and families, the special will stream on HBO Max and PBS KIDS in the US October 15th, and debut on PBS stations the same day. The special will also re-air throughout October and November on PBS stations and the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel.
“Sesame Street has the ability to entertain children while explaining complex issues like no other programme and equips families and caregivers with the support they need to have empathetic conversations,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, Executive Vice President of Creative and Production at Sesame Workshop. “We believe that this moment calls for a direct discussion about racism to help children grasp the issues and teach them that they are never too young to be ‘upstanders’ for themselves, one another, and their communities.”
The Power of We features Elmo and Abby Cadabby, who are joined by 6-year-old Muppet Gabrielle and her cousin, 8-year-old Tamir, as they learn how to become “upstanders” to unfair treatment based on skin – or fur – colour.