{"id":18714,"date":"2022-07-19T03:35:42","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T03:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/sesame-place-promises-bias-training-after-viral-video-incident-the-hollywood-reporter\/"},"modified":"2022-07-19T03:35:42","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T03:35:42","slug":"sesame-place-promises-bias-training-after-viral-video-incident-the-hollywood-reporter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/sesame-place-promises-bias-training-after-viral-video-incident-the-hollywood-reporter\/","title":{"rendered":"Sesame Place Promises Bias Training After Viral Video Incident \u2013 \u200b\u200bThe Hollywood Reporter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street<\/em>has responded to a viral video that appears to depict an incident of racial bias that occurred at Sesame Place Philadelphia over the weekend.<\/p>\n

On Sunday morning, digital strategist Leslie Mac posted a video<\/a> to Twitter from her daughter Paige’s 4th birthday celebration over the weekend. In the nine-second clip, Paige and another little girl, both Black, stand on the sidelines of the parade of characters and extend their arms toward a performer dressed in a Rosita costume. Rosita high-fives other park visitors before waving off Paige and her friend, wagging her head as she turns away from them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is how #SesamePlace treated these beautiful Black children,\u201d Mac captioned the video, which has generated 7.3 million views as of press time. As the video went viral on Monday, other people began sharing similar<\/a> videos<\/a> of Sesame Place characters appearing to ignore Black children while interacting with others.<\/p>\n

The incident caught the attention of multiple Hollywood figures. \u201cThose gorgeous girls will never forget that feeling!\u201d Kelly Rowland wrote in a reply on Sesame Place’s Instagram account, while Audra McDonald tweeted<\/a>\u201cThis is absolutely disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Black woman was once a little Black girl who made this face when the way things are for us in America first broke her heart,\u201d tweeted<\/a> Yvette Nicole Brown while Wendell Pierce shared<\/a> that the disillusionment can happen to boys, too: \u201cWatching [this moment] reminds me of my own. 4 years old on Mardi Gras Day being denied the joy I see other kids having and the realization the horrible reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sesame Place posted an initial response to its Instagram account on Sunday evening, explaining that the costumes sometimes inhibit performers’ sightlines, and that the employee portraying Rosita’s \u201cno\u201d gesture was a general response declining requests to hold children for photos, which is against park policy. \u201cWe spoke to the family and extended our apologies and invited them back for a special meet-and-greet opportunity with our characters,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

But Mac said that hasn’t happened<\/a>. \u201cThis statement is the first & only time the family heard about this offer & Sesame Place has cut off email communications,\u201d she tweeted<\/a>. \u201cThe entire statement is a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Late Monday afternoon, Sesame Workshop \u2013 which was careful to note that Sesame Place is a licensed partner \u2013 weighed in. \u201cWhat these children experienced is unacceptable,\u201d read its statement<\/a> on social media. \u201cWe have been in contact with Sesame Place, our licensed park partner, and they have assured us that they will conduct bias training and a thorough review of the ways in which they engage with families and guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minutes after the nonprofit posted its statement, Sesame Place Philadelphia followed up with a new pinned tweet<\/a>: \u201cWe sincerely apologize to the family for their experience in our park on Saturday; we know that it’s not ok. We will conduct training for our employees so they better understand, recognize and deliver an inclusive, equitable and entertaining experience to our guests.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n