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.
"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
(责任编辑：知識)
Tyler, the Creator helped Frank Ocean celebrate 'Blonde' release in a delicious way
Pin it for later? Pinterest acquires Instapaper
J.K. Rowling has an inspirational piece of advice for budding writers
Drake shows off his basketball skills with halfWhyd voiceWatch MTV's Video Music Awards 2016 livestream
It's MTV Video Music Awards night. Are you ready?Kanye's going to be there, and he's going to say th
...[详细]Patient owl rescued from pesky barbed wire fence
Poor little birdie.Earlier this week, a bummed out owl was rescued after getting its wings stuck on
...[详细]The world's first international 'Overwatch' champions have been crowned
Rogue claimed Overwatch's first-ever international championship after defeating Reunited in the ESL
...[详细]Joseph Schooling marks Olympic gold with new tattoo
SINGAPORE -- National hero Joseph Schooling has been a busy man since he returned to Singapore, but
...[详细]U.S. pole vaulter skids to a halt for national anthem
An American pole vaulter took his patriotism to the next level at the Olympics. 。Sam Kendricks, a sec
...[详细]First commercial flight from U.S. to Cuba in 50 years takes off
The first direct commercial flight between the U.S. and Cuba in more than 50 years has taken off fro
...[详细]Hurricane damage could triple in the U.S. if global warming goes unchecked
When it comes to hurricanes in the U.S., large-scale trends are not in our favor. In fact, unless ac
...[详细]Meet the the pillars of the white nationalist alt
The alt-right -- a collection of organizations, individuals and internet memes that advocate against
...[详细]Slack goes down again, prompting anxiety everywhere
Panic briefly took over on Tuesday when everyone's favorite messaging app/millstone went down tempor
...[详细]The world's first international 'Overwatch' champions have been crowned
Rogue claimed Overwatch's first-ever international championship after defeating Reunited in the ESL
...[详细]
