This 1993 'Sesame Street' Episode About Racism Is Worth Watching Again
An old Sesame Street episode about racism from 1993 is getting attention again on YouTube, and it’s definitely worth checking out.
In the episode, two cast members, Gina, who is white, and Savion, who is Black, joke about a movie that had just seen before walking down the street together. Gina ends up inviting Savion into the restaurant she works at for a soda, before she gets a disturbing phone call. Gina gets really upset while on the phone with an unknown person, before Savion takes the receiver and, a few seconds later, hangs up the phone.
Savion then explained to Telly, who was sitting in the restaurant, that “some guy” said some “awful things.” He added that there are “just some really stupid people in the world, who can't stand to see it when people of different races are friends.”
Telly, who is purple, seemed super confused about the whole thing. “What does color have to do with being friends?” he asked.
Savion and Gina ended up role playing about what to do if people make racist comments for Telly. Fast-forward to Telly talking to Baby Bear about what happened, and the two put up an information booth on the street to help educate others. And, of course, since this is Sesame Street, the whole thing ended in song.
Check out the full episode here:
Sesame Street shared a tweet earlier this week, saying that racism “has no place on our Street—or any street,” and several people praised them for their episode. “I remember the racism episode. One of the best the show has made,” one person wrote. “Sesame Street have always been a safe place for me, it’s a dream of a warm and inclusive place. I think my childhood would be hollow without it. I’ve learned so much, including RESPECT. So thank you, Sesame Street!” another said.
So, if you have kids, maybe it’s worth showing them this episode to help them get a better sense of what’s going on right now, and why the events that led up to the protests are so wrong. And, while you’re at it, tune in to CNN on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. ET, to see a town hall for kids and families hosted by Sesame Street and CNN.
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