No Trace Of Racist Rosita At Sesame Place After Character Allegedly Ignored Black Kids

Sesame Place decided to remove its character Rosita after it allegedly ignored Black children. After the incident surfaced online, a family launched a $25 million lawsuit against the park, the Daily Mail reports. The outlet confirmed that the character is being removed from the theme park in Philadelphia, and staff noted the cancellation is occurring amid the controversy.

As Blavity previously reported, a Black mother accused Rosita of ignoring her two daughters, and she had the receipts to prove it. She shared a video of the incident, which shows the character high-fiving several white children and bystanders at the park, but walking past the Black girls after seemingly giving them a “no” gesture. The video went viral, and soon thereafter, more Black parents spoke out and shared similar experiences.

Since news of Rosita’s questionable behavior broke in July, multiple buildings in the park with the character’s face on them have remained closed, including the Rosita-themed restaurant Cocina. A staff member said Rosita’s meet and greets have also been called off, the Daily Mail reports. However, the character has not been removed from the latest season of Sesame Street, which aired in November 2021 on HBO Max.

Sesame Place is doing more than pulling back on Rosita promo. According to the Bucks County Courier Times, the company announced that it is implementing employee anti-bias training and education. The initiatives will be spearheaded by a team of national experts in civil rights and diversity, equity and inclusion.

An attorney representing Jodi Brown, the New York mom who filmed the viral video, said they found “deficiencies” with the company’s plan. Brown, her attorney B’Ivory LaMarr and civil rights leaders including Rev. Jesse Jackson, will meet with the CEO of the park’s parent company, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, on Aug. 11 to discuss their concerns.

“It is our hope that this previously scheduled meeting will address the deficiencies we have noted from this most recent press release,” LaMarr said, according to the Bucks County Courier Times.