【】
Sesame Place has announced new diversity, equity, and inclusion training for its staff members following criticism after one of the popular theme park characters was filmed snubbing two Black girls eager to get a hug or high five.
The controversy began in July when one of the girls' mothers, Jodi Brown, posted a nine-second clip of the incident on Instagram, which happened at Sesame Place Philadelphia. The costumed character Rosita dismissively waved her hands in the direction of the girls, who looked crestfallen afterward. The video was widely viewed on multiple social media platforms, prompting other parents to share similar clips of their Black children's negative experiences at the amusement park.
Tweet may have been deleted
Sesame Place initially published a lengthy apology. "We are heartbroken by what these young girls and this family experienced in our park," a press release said. "It is antithetical to our values, principles, and purpose. We are committed to working tirelessly and intentionally to make this situation better."
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined the girls' family in their call for Sesame Place and parent company SeaWorld to do better. Separately, another Black family who previously visited the park sued Sesame Place in a $25 million class-action lawsuit that alleged discrimination.
In a press release issued Tuesday, Sesame Place announced new related initiatives, including a comprehensive racial equity assessment and the planned launch of an anti-bias training and education program. By the end of September, Sesame Place employees should've participated in a training program "designed to address bias, promote inclusion, prevent discrimination, and ensure all guests and employees feel safe and welcome."
The program is being developed and overseen by renowned experts in civil rights, diversity, equity, and inclusion, according to Sesame Place.
Related Stories
- Black girls snubbed in Sesame Place video get support from Ben Crump, Kelly Rowland, more
- 'CODA' star Troy Kotsur teaches diversity on 'Sesame Street'
- Zazie Beetz teaches respect in latest 'Sesame Street'
- New Sesame pal Ameera represents the joyful lives of children with disabilities
- How to watch Sesame Street introduce Ji-Young, the neighborhood's first Asian American muppet
"The actions we are taking will help us deliver on our promise to provide an equitable and inclusive experience for all our guests every day," Cathy Valeriano, president of Sesame Place Philadelphia said. "We are committed to making sure our guests feel welcome, included and enriched by their visits to our park."
Additional reporting by Ty Cole.
TopicsSocial GoodFamily & ParentingSesame Street
相关文章
Is Samsung's Galaxy Note7 really the best phone?
On this week's。 MashTalk 。, Lance, Pete and I talk about the new hot smartphone in town: Samsung's Ga2024-11-10Crocs makes heels now, because we live in a very strange world
Today in footwear we never asked for: Crocs presents its Cyprus V heels.。This unfashionable pair of2024-11-10YouTube star Ryker Gamble dies after falling from waterfall
YouTube star Ryker Gamble died after falling from a waterfall in British Columbia, Canada. He was 302024-11-10Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Microsoft are joining forces to make your data super portable
Avengers: Infinity War。is the most ambitious crossover event in history…but Google, Microsoft2024-11-10You will love/hate Cards Against Humanity's new fortune cookies
If you've ever ordered Cards Against Humanity from the delightfully corrupt board game's website, yo2024-11-10A hacker tried selling stolen military drone documents for $200
Researchers at the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future recently released a report about one of its mo2024-11-10
最新评论