Big Bird and the gang are looking to start the conversation and address racism with children, asSesame Streetand CNN are teaming up for a town hall meeting to discuss the important issue. After the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department and the worldwide protests that followed, it seems that it’s appropriate to bring in the famous children’s characters for this special event to educate young Americans on racism in ways that they can understand. The program will air on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. ET.
Dubbed as theComing Together: Standing Up to Racism: A CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall for Kids and Families, the CNN program will feature Big Bird moderating alongside Van Jones and Erica Hill. Together, they will educate viewers on the topics of racism, protesting, embracing diversity, and “being more empathetic and understanding.” Of course, Big Bird won’t be coming alone, as hisSesame StreetpalsElmo, Abby Cadabby, and Rosita will be joining the panel to answer questions submitted by families. Given recent events, it’s more important than ever for children to get this education, so this is a great opportunity for parents yet to fully explain the subject to their little ones.
This will serve as the second town hall meeting featuring the characters ofSesame Street. Back in April,Big Birdand the others addressed the dangerous illness that resulted in a national shutdown, with elementary schools among the many buildings to shutter their doors in recent months. The town hall included Cookie Monster providing tips for making healthy eating choices while staying at home, Big Bird explaining how to deal with losing a loved one, and Elmo learning why face masks and proper hand washing are so important for safety. The program has since been made available to watch for free online by CNN, and it can be found on YouTube, and it seems likely the same will be done with this Saturday’s town hall as well.
Last week, racism was brought back to the forefront of the conversation in the United States when disturbing footage ofGeorge Floyd’s deathwent viral online. The incident sparked outrage nationally with worldwide protests following in the days after, as people all across the world have come together to call for justice for the man that needlessly died. For allegedly asphyxiating Floyd, former officer Derek Chauvin is now facing charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and the other three ex-cops involved are also getting charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
