Updated June 3rd, 2020 at 16:28 IST

'Sesame Street' shares strong message against racism, says 'it has no place on our street'

Sesame Street issues a spot-on message against racism. The message focuses on being united and how Sesame Street favours black community. Read on.

Reported by: Aditi Sharma
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The American educational children television series, Sesame Street, shared a strong message for its fans favouring the black community after the death of George Floyd. Amid 'Black Lives Matter' protest all across the nation, Sesame Street shared a post on its official Instagram handle on June 2, 2020. It was a note titled with strong words, “Racism has no place on our street or on any street”.

In this note, Sesame Street further talked about how it is built on diversity, inclusion, and kindness. The Sesame Street note said that today and every day, they stand together with their black colleagues, partners, collaborators and the entire Black community. They also mentioned, “We stand with our friends around the globe to speak out against racism, to promote understanding, and to create a world that is smarter, stronger, and kinder.”

Since Sesame Street's inception in 1969, it has fostered a community where everyone is welcome and treated with compassion, regardless of their skin colour, family dynamic, background, abilities, or interests. The television show has prominently featured cast members and celebrity guests of all ethnicities through the years. It has inspired parents to have conversations with their young children about not only race but also other topics like death, incarceration, adoption, and so much more. 

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Music Industry unites to favour black community

George Floyd's tragic death has taken the world by storm and people have been coming out to show their support for the African-American community with posts on social media as well as in-person on streets. The music industry in America has also decided to take a united stand against racism after the death of George Floyd. This incident has prompted the music industry and they would be coming together for a music industry blackout Tuesday to stand in support of the black people.

Columbia Records was the first to publicly announce that it stands against injustice towards underserved populations. Ron Perry, the chairman of Columbia Records, posted a note on Instagram that said, “We stand together with the Black community against all forms of racism, bigotry, and violence. Now, more than ever we must use our voices to speak up and challenge the injustices all around us.”

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About George Floyd's death

George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, died in Minneapolis earlier last week. As per reports, on May 26, Floyd was arrested by the local police in Minneapolis on unspecified charges. A tussle is said to have broken out between George Floyd and the police officials, which resulted in Floyd being subdued for several minutes by a police officer. In a video that went viral on the internet, the officer was seen pressing his knee against Floyd's neck who was seen gasping for air before turning motionless. In the viral video, the 46-year-old can be seen repeatedly saying 'I can't breathe.' He was pronounced dead the same day. George Floyd's death triggered protests in various parts of the US, including in California, New York, Ohio and Colorado. 

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Published June 3rd, 2020 at 16:28 IST