CHANGES

Sesame Place Announces Diversity Plan After Characters Accused of Snubbing Black Kids

The theme park came under fire after several videos showed Black children being ignored by their favorite Sesame Street characters.

Sesame Place is reckoning with recent allegations that its performers have been intentionally ignoring children of color. In a press release Tuesday, the children’s theme park, based outside of Philadelphia, vowed that all current staff members will undergo an anti-bias training program by the end of September. Going forward, new hires will also be required to complete the training, and the park said the program will be led by national experts. “We have already begun engaging with employees, guests, civil rights groups as well as community leaders, and instituted some interim measures at the park while the review proceeds,” Sesame Place Philadelphia President Cathy Valeriano said in the statement. “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.” The plan comes after videos emerged of Black children being snubbed by the park’s characters and went viral on social media.