“Sesame Street” has introduced two Black muppets, a father and son, to help children better understand race and racism.
Elijah and Wes were introduced in a short video created by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind the long-running show.
In the video, Elmo wants to know why Wes’ skin is brown, so his father Elijah explains the concept of melanin and how “the color of our skin is an important part of who we are.”
Check out the “Good Morning America” coverage below:
Sesame Workshop’s Senior Vice President Dr. Jeanette Betancourt said in a statement:
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.
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.
“Sesame Street” was a huge part of my childhood and I’m happy to see they are still putting in the work to educate children in a positive way.
Source: Today
