“If anyone wonders if America still has a race problem, the answer is YES when it hits the most adored and kid-friendly street in this country.” SesamePlace
of multiple Black children passed over, waved off and knocked over while their white peers get high fives and hugs has been painful and hard to watch. These recorded incidents have deeply impacted parents around this country and intimately affected Black and brown children who were the victims of what can only be summed up as disregard and senseless hate. If anyone wonders if America still has a race problem, the answer is YES when it hits the most adored and kid-friendly street in this country.
Why is this recent revelation about Sesame Place so problematic? It’s because for every one video that surfaces, there are at least 100 other incidents that weren’t captured. That means thousands of young and impressionable kids went home feeling neglected, heart broken and confused when they enthusiastically showed up and paid an entrance fee to meet their idols. It also means these toddlers and children are getting their first taste of the “real world” at a very tender age.
It’s important to understand that these are not isolated incidents. Everytime a Black child suffers this type of trauma it slowly but surely chips away at their innocence, self confidence and will. The word “privilege” is thrown around alot, but this is what the opposite of privilege looks like. Part of “privilege” is showing up and things happen in a way that you hope for or at least expect.
While Sesame Place is the focus of this news cycle, these experiences of rejection happen to Black and brown children from a young age and continue through adulthood. Whether it’s not getting invited to a birthday party or your classmates not coming to your birthday party because “we don’t usually travel to that neighborhood” or being disregarded by a character in costume, it all adds up. Each of these moments create a profound insecurity about who you are and your place in the world.
Whether you’re Black, brown, yellow, purple or green, it’s up to all of us to make this a better place for our kids to feel seen, loved and accepted. And yes, I’m looking at you Rosita.Get your phones out, ask for names, record the date and time. If you see an act that feels racially motivated or bigotted, please don’t turn around and walk away. Get the receipts so you can shine a light and eradicate bad behavior in real time.
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