>> AND THIS TIME THEYRE DOING
ITS THROUGH THE EYES OF TWO NEW
FRIENDS WHO I GOT THE CHANCE TO
MEET.
>> HI.
MY NAME IS WES.
>> HEY, EVERYBODY.
IM ELIJAH WALKER.
>> HI.
ELMOS NAME IS ELMO.
>> THERE ARE TWO NEW NEIGHBORS
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT IS SO GREAT TO MEET YOU, WES
AND ELIJAH.
ELMO, ITS GOOD TO SEE YOU
AGAIN.
WHILE SESAME HAS ALWAYS
CELEBRATED DIFFERENCES AND
DIVERSITY, A FATHER AND SON
TACKLE A TOUGH ISSUE.
RACE.
WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS
RACE AND DIFFERENCES NOW?
>> AFTER WHAT HAPPENS LAST
SUMMER, WE KNEW THAT WE NEEDED
TO BE MORE EXPLICIT ABOUT
TALKING ABOUT RACE BECAUSE
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES NEEDED IT.
>> WITH SESAMES COMING TOGETHER
INITIATIVE, CREATING THE ABCs OF
RACIAL LITERACY, SEEING THE
ISSUE AS SESAME ALWAYS DOES
THROUGH THE EYES OF A YUCK
CHILD.
5-YEAR-OLD WES AND HIS
METEOROLOGIST DAD ELIJAHS
EXPERIENCES, BUT STARTING WITH
THE BASICS.
>> ELMO WANTS TO KNOW WHY WESS
SKIN IS BROWN.
>> OH, I KNOW WHY.
MY MOM AND DAD TOLD ME.
ITS BECAUSE OF MELANIN.
RIGHT, DAD?
>> THATS RIGHT.
>> MELANIN?
WHAT IS THAT?
>> MELANIN IS SOMETHING WE ALL
HAVE IN OUR BODIES THAT MAKE THE
OUTSIDE OF OUR BODIES THE COLOR
THAT IT IS.
IT ALSO GIVES YOU OUR EYE AND
HAIR COLOR.
>> EXPERTS SAY CHILDREN BEGIN TO
NOTICE THE DIFFERENCES IN RACE
IN INFANCY AND START FORMING
THEIR OWN SENSE OF IDENTITY AT A
VERY YOUNG AGE.
SO SESAME DECIDED TO TACKLE RACE
AND RACISM HEAD ON.
>> ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT
SESAME STREET IS THAT PEOPLE
ACCEPT PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY ARE,
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN
PEOPLE HAVE DONE THINGS OR SAID
THINGS THAT DIDNT MAKE YOU FEEL
GOOD.
>> THERE WAS ONE TIME AT MY OLD
SCHOOL WHEN I WANTED TO BE THE
PRETEND GUITARIST, BUT THEY SAID
THAT I COULDNT BE THE PRETEND
GUITARIST BECAUSE OF THE WAY
THAT I LOOK BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO
LOOK LIKE ME SHOULD BE RAPPERS
BECAUSE THEY RAP THE BEST.
THAT WASNT VERY NICE.
IT MADE ME FEEL REALLY BAD.
BUT THEN I TALKED TO MY DAD AND
I TOLD ME I COULD BE WHATEVER I
WANTED TO BE.
>> A STUDY COMMISSIONED BY
SESAME WORKSHOP REPORTED THAT
42% HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED
DISCRIMINATION.
NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF THOSE WITH
BLACK CHILDREN REPORTING RACIST
INCIDENTS.
SO TO HELP, SESAME CREATED
VERYOS LIKE BREATHE, FEEL,
SHARE, TO HELP KIDS HAVE OPEN
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE AND
RACISM.
>> BREATHE.
TO CALM DOWN.
FEEL, NOTICE HOW IM FEELING AND
SAY IT.
AND THEN SHARE.
TELL A GROWN-UP WHAT HAPPENED.
>> FOR THE GROWNUPS WATCHING, A
GUIDE TO HELP WITH THOSE TOUGH
CONVERSATIONS.
>> IVE HAD TO HAVE DIFFICULT
TALKS WITH MY KIDS, BUT ITS
PARTICULARLY TOUGH WHEN YOU HAVE
TO TALK TO A 4 OR 5-YEAR-OLD
ABOUT RACE.
HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT?
>> YEAH.
WE TALK ABOUT BEING PROUD OF
THINGS.
WE TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT MAKE
US UNIQUE AND WE TALK ABOUT SOME
OF THE DIFFICULTIES THAT CAN
COP.
>> WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT AFTER
ALL THIS TIME, YOU HAVE TO HAVE
THOSE CONVERSATIONS?
>> IM SURPRISED, IM
DISAPPOINTED SOMETIMES.
BUT THINGS DO SEEM LIKE THEYRE
GETTING BETTER, BUT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE EQUIPPED OUR
KIDS WITH THE TOOLS THAT THEY
NEED TO TALK ABOUT AND TO EXIST
IN THIS WORLD.
>> TEACHING MEANS LESSONS
THROUGH SESAME CHARACTERS ALLOWS
FOR A DIRECTNESS, A LACK OF
NUANCE THAT YOUNG KIDS ARE
LOOKING FOR.
>> IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO
MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD
NOT ONLY WHAT WAS RIGHT, BUT
ALSO WHAT WAS WRONG.
AND TO REPRESENT THAT FOR
CHILDREN AND TO USE LANGUAGE
THAT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN FEEL
COMFORTABLE WITH.
>> AND SINCE ELIJAH AND I SHARE
A FONDNESS FOR FORECASTS, THE
WEATHER REPORT SEEMS SOMEWHAT
SIMILAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
ERNIES GROVE, WASHINGTON, 88
DEGREES.
>> PERFECT WEATHER TO FLOAT YOUR
RUBBER DUCKY.
>> GROVER BEATS CALIFORNIA, 88
DEGREES.
>> AND THATS SUPER.
>> BIRD CITY, KANSAS, 88
DEGREES.
>> I LIKE TO GET OUT TO THE PARK
AND FEED THE PIGEONS.
>> OSCAR, MINNESOTA.
>> HOPEFULLY IT WILL GET SOME
RAIN.
OS KA
OSCAR WILL LOVE THAT.
>> AND IT REALLY IS WHAT IS SO
SPECIAL ABOUT THIS, YOU NEED TO
BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE
CONVERSATIONS.
AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS HELPS
PARENTS NOT JUST KIDS, BUT THE
PARENTS HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS.
>> AND IT FEELS WARM, IT FEELS
SAFE.
>> A GOOD WAY TO START THOSE
CONVERSATIONS.
WATCH THIS AND THEN WE CAN TALK.
>> THATS RIGHT.
AND FOR ALL THESE RU SOURCES SO
FAR CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR
CHILDREN, ITS AVAILABLE FOR