In a statement, Sesame Workshop said that it "has always stood for respect, inclusion and belonging and is committed to providing the highest quality engaging experiences for all children and families". But the statement wasn't too well received. Photo: Filepic
Sesame Workshop has gone into full damage-control mode after a viral video showed a character at a Sesame Street-themed amusement park rebuffing two Black children.
The video has raised allegations of racism, prompting Sesame Place Philadelphia to issue a swift explanation last Sunday (July 17) giving its side of the story.
But the words landed with a thud, prompting a second statement from the park and another from Sesame Workshop, the non-profit that runs the beloved educational Sesame Street programme.
Sesame Workshop appeared to side with the two young girls who were shunned by a costumed Rosita character walking in a daytime parade. On July 18, the organisation posted a statement on Instagram saying it had been assured that Sesame Place would "conduct bias training and a thorough review of the ways in which they engage with families and guests."
But commenters on the post said bias training is not enough, and many called for employees to be fired after more videos showing instances of similar and sometimes worse behaviour have surfaced.
"Sesame Workshop is aware of the recent incident at Sesame Place Philadelphia, which we take very seriously. What these children experienced is unacceptable," said the statement.
"As a global non-profit educational organisation with a mission to help children grow smarter, stronger and kinder, Sesame Workshop has always stood for respect, inclusion and belonging and is committed to providing the highest quality engaging experiences for all children and families. We hold our partners to the same high standards," the statement continued.
"We will continue working with our long-term partner Sesame Place to ensure that appropriate actions are taken and that incidents like this do not happen in the future."
Meanwhile, the mother of the two children who posted the viral footage continued to get celebrity support. The mother's clip, which has been shared thousands of times on Instagram, shows her two young daughters reaching out to a performer dressed as Rosita, then being passed up after the character motions "no" in front of the young girls.
Although it isn't shown in the clip, the mother alleged in her video caption that Rosita proceeded to "hug the little white girl" next to them.
Sesame Place Philadelphia said Sunday that character costumes "sometimes make it difficult" for performers "to see at lower levels and sometimes our performers miss hug requests from guests."
That first statement said that the "no" hand gesture "was not directed to any specific person," but was a response "to multiple requests from someone in the crowd who asked Rosita to hold their child for a photo which is not permitted." The performer did not intentionally ignore the girls and is "devastated about the misunderstanding," the statement said. - dpa
