Sesame Place in Philadelphia was branded racist after video shows a character actor in costume brushing off two little Black girls.
A mom took to Instagram to share video of Rosita waving and high-fiving fans as her daughters tried to get the character’s attention — but were “blatantly” ignored.
“We were on our way out of sesame place and the kids wanted to stop to see the characters,” the irate mother wrote. “THIS DISGUSTING person blatantly told our kids NO then proceeded to hug the little white girl next to us!”
She explained that she complained about the incident but she was also ignored.
“I asked the lady who the character was and I wanted to see a supervisor and she told me SHE DIDNT KNOW!!,” she continued. “I will never step foot in @sesameplace ever again!”
Sesame Place Philadelphia issued a statement about the encounter, saying the actor confirmed the dismissive “’no’ hand gesture… was not directed to any specific person” but rather a response to photo requests from another guest.
But by then, the video had gone viral and many outraged people chimed in, including singer Kelly Rowland, who commented on Sesame Place’s post, “Those gorgeous girls will never forget that feeling! THEY ARE KIDS!!!!! You should be ASHAMED of yourselves for this pathetic statement.”
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Place, has since promised “bias training” for its workers along with a “thorough review of the ways in which they engage with families and guests.”
Sesame Place Philadelphia added a new statement of its own: “We 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.”
Post a Comment