Today, Sesame Workshop introduced the “ABCs of Racial Literacy.” This new set of resources are part of the Coming Together initiative, Sesame Workshop’s ongoing commitment to racial justice. Coming Together includes a racial justice educational framework, ongoing research and a rolling release of new content which will also help guide and inform new Sesame Workshop content going forward, including future seasons of Sesame Street.
Today’s announcement, which is part of the Sesame Street in Communities initiative, builds on recent efforts focused on tackling racism and its impact on children, including The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special, the CNN Town Hall Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism, and related short-form content.
“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,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President, Sesame Workshop. “‘The ABCs of Racial Literacy’ is designed to foster open, age-appropriate conversations among families and support them in building racial literacy. 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.”
The ‘ABCs of Racial Literacy’ resources are designed to help all families celebrate their own unique identities, while also providing age-appropriate language and strategies to answer sometimes-tough questions around race and racism. One video features two new muppets, 5-year-old Wes and his father Elijah. Elmo wants to know why Wes’s skin is brown. Elijah explains the concept of melanin and that the color of our skin is an important part of who we are. A new music video featuring the Sesame Street muppets celebrates their own unique identities. An upcoming video highlights Rosita’s mom and her friend Sofia helping Rosita cope with a racist incident in a grocery store. The video also celebrates speaking Spanish. Additional resources include videos featuring real families talking about their experiences, activities for families to do together, and talking points and conversation starters for families.
“Sesame Workshop has always stood for diversity, inclusion, equity, and kindness. As a trusted source for families, we have a responsibility to speak out for racial justice and empower families to have conversations about race and identity with their children at a young age,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, Executive Vice President of Creative and Production, Sesame Workshop. “The work to dismantle racism begins by helping children understand what racism is and how it hurts and impacts people. Sadly, today’s announcement comes at a time of racial and social discord when many families are in need of support in talking to their children about racism. We’re proud to reaffirm our Coming Together commitment to racial justice, which will be woven into new Sesame Workshop content for years to come.”
The new Coming Together: The ABCs of Racial Literacy resources launching today are available in both English and Spanish at no cost to families at SesameWorkshop.org/ComingTogether.
