Hello Meltingpot Readers,
Did you know Sesame Street debuted 50 years ago in 1969? And as such, they are celebrating all year long in honor of their 50th anniversary. I don’t have little ones in the house anymore to watch Sesame Street, but apparently Sesame Workshop is launching a whole bunch of initiatives in honor of this big birthday, including a prime time special in November. I will definitely be tuning into that, as will my kids. Because even though they are all “too old” to watch Sesame Street, they all watched when they were little and still have fond memories of the show. We all have our favorite skits and characters. Personally, I’m a huge fan of Grover and Kermit the Frog. Babygirl is an Elmo fan. And my boys have always loved Ernie.
Sesame Street Did Diversity Right
As a self-proclaimed diversity diva, I cannot say enough about Sesame Street’s commitment to diversity. I remember watching Sesame Street as a little girl and being absolutely thrilled to see Black children on the set. True story, I always dreamed of one day getting to appear on the show myself. And believe it or not, when I was in college, I used to tell everyone that my dream job was to work for Sesame Street. That was such a well-known goal of mine, my friends bought me a Sesame Street cake for my 20th birthday!
Besides having a super diverse cast, over the years, Sesame Street has continued to push the envelope when it comes to exposing their audience to new concepts of diversity(Remember this clip that combats colorism?). They had puppets and people who came from different countries, who struggled with illness and who spoke different languages. And they made it look so easy. I was particularly proud when they introduced the Black girl muppet who sang about loving her hair. That just proved that the show’s creators were truly committed to helping children feel good about themselves, but also helping instill in future generations an understanding and an appreciation for difference. Bravo, Sesame Street! Bravo!
Are any of you dear readers Sesame Street fans? Tell me why or tell me who your favorite character is. You know I’m listening.
Peace!
Comments
2 responses to “Sesame Street Debuts Diversity 50 Years Ago”
I read Rita Moreno’s memoir earlier this year. She loved working on Sesame Street, because of the diversity of the talented cast. Viva Sesame Street!
Rebecca,
That’s so wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing. I’d love to read her memoir as well. I’ll add it to my TBR list. I hope you’re well.