Praised for discussing difficult issues in a frank manner to
kids since it set-up shop back in 1969, has Sesame Street finally tackled the
difficult issue of racism?
By: Ringo Bones
In the wake of the death of George Floyd due to police
brutality and a renewed Black Lives Matter protest amid the dangers of an
ongoing pandemic, most adults who saw the special said that it is quite telling
that a children’s show explained racism better than most adults. The CNN and
Sesame Street anti racism town hall special hosted by Van Jones could be the
children’s educational show’s landmark moment for the show’s half a century of
programming.
The show opens with Elmo’s dad Louie – both Sesame Street characters
– were talking about the importance of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests
and on why not all streets are like Sesame Street which is an idyll of equality
during half a century of the show’s existence. Some say, it is high time that
the difficult issue of racism will be discussed frankly to kids – especially in
the largely racist climate of Trump’s America.
Sadder still, Sesame Street fans old enough to see the show
when it first aired back in 1969 are probably old enough to remember the race
riots in the wake of the assassination Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a year before.
Not to mention the race riots in the wake of the acquittal of police officers
involved in the beating of Rodney King – despite the existence of video
evidence – back in 1992. Maybe the difficult conversation is now a necessity about
systemic racism all around us.
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