Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2026

Sesame Street hit by more claims of racist behavior

Sesame Street hit by more claims of racist behavior

A couple from Arkansas said their Black son was ignored in favor of white children by Big Bird at a Sesame Street theme park. They're the latest family to accuse the brand of racism.
The Morris' claims come in the wake of a $25 million lawsuit filed by a family following a viral video that appears to show the character Rosita ignoring two young Black girls during a "meet and greet" at Sesame Place in Philadelphia.

The incident has sparked widespread debate in the U.S., with famed civil rights campaigner the Reverend Jesse Jackson involved.

Kimberly said she took Jaheim, then 4, to the popular theme park on March 4. "We went to watch 'story time' with Big Bird, and afterward Jaheim went to go and meet Big Bird.

"With other kids, who were mostly white, he was taking pictures and giving out hugs and high fives.

"Jaheim just wanted a high five but Big Bird was totally different with him. The bird looked directly at him and refused to put his hand out.

"Jaheim was so sad afterwards, it was heartbreaking to see."

Dad Jaren added: "I thought it was just us, but now I'm seeing other people have gone through the same thing and we needed to share our story."

Jaheim and his mom flew to Orlando so that the youngster could go to the theme park to see his favorite Sesame Street characters.

She and her husband said their son was bursting with excitement before they went but when they got there, things started to take a sad turn.

Kimberly said what happened to Jaheim was similar to a video which recently went viral, which appears to show two little Black girls being snubbed by the character Rosita at Sesame Place.

She alleged: "I saw him run back saying sadly 'Mommy, the bird didn't high five me.'

"He was not active with my child despite interacting with all the others. I remember noticing and thinking 'oh wow.'

"It was heartbreaking to see. I wanted to cry when he was reaching his hand out and the bird wouldn't touch him."

The parents said that since then, Jaheim has grown less and less fond of Sesame Street, having been a huge fan before they went to the theme park.

They say they are "worried" to hear it wasn't a one-time incident.

"We won't go back there ever again. They need to do better," Kimberly said.

Sesame Workshop, the non-profit group behind Sesame Street, was approached for comment and shared a previous statement about the original viral incident, refusing to offer anything more specific to Jaheim's experience.

It said: "Sesame Workshop is aware of the recent incident at Sesame Place Philadelphia, which we take very seriously. What these children experienced is unacceptable.

"We have been in contact with Sesame Place, our licensed park partner, and they have assured us that they will conduct bias training and a thorough review of the ways in which they engage with families and guests.

"As a global nonprofit educational organization with a mission to help children grow smarter, stronger and kinder, Sesame Workshop has always stood for respect, inclusion and belonging and is committed to providing the highest quality engaging experiences for all children and families.

"We hold our partners to the same high standards.

"We will continue working with our long-term partner Sesame Place to ensure that appropriate actions are taken and that incidents like this do not happen in the future."

Sesame Place then suggested Zenger News contact SeaWorld, which runs Sesame Street Land in Orlando.

A SeaWorld employee offered a comment, which they asked to be attributed to Sesame Street Land.

It said: "We want every child who comes to our park to feel included, seen and inspired and we are disappointed to learn that this child came away from his experience in our park feeling disappointed.

"This is the first time we have been made aware of this incident and are reaching out to the family to speak with them about it."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Steps Back from Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Amid Strained US–UK Relations
Prince Harry’s Lawyer Tells UK Court Daily Mail Was Complicit in Unlawful Privacy Invasions
UK Government Approves China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London Amid Debate Over Security and Diplomacy
Trump Cites UK’s Chagos Islands Sovereignty Shift as Justification for Pursuing Greenland Acquisition
UK Government Weighs Australia-Style Social Media Ban for Under-Sixteens Amid Rising Concern Over Online Harm
Trump Aides Say U.S. Has Discussed Offering Asylum to British Jews Amid Growing Antisemitism Concerns
UK Seeks Diplomatic De-escalation with Trump Over Greenland Tariff Threat
Prince Harry Returns to London as High Court Trial Begins Over Alleged Illegal Tabloid Snooping
High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain Kills at Least Twenty-One and Injures Scores
Meghan Markle May Return to the U.K. This Summer as Security Review Advances
Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat Sparks EU Response and Risks Deep Transatlantic Rift
Prince Harry’s High Court Battle With Daily Mail Publisher Begins in London
Trump’s Tariff Escalation Presents Complex Challenges for the UK Economy
UK Prime Minister Starmer Rebukes Trump’s Greenland Tariff Strategy as Transatlantic Tensions Rise
Prince Harry’s Last Press Case in UK Court Signals Potential Turning Point in Media and Royal Relations
OpenAI to Begin Advertising in ChatGPT in Strategic Shift to New Revenue Model
GDP Growth Remains the Most Telling Barometer of Britain’s Economic Health
Prince William and Kate Middleton Stay Away as Prince Harry Visits London Amid Lingering Rift
Britain Braces for Colder Weather and Snow Risk as Temperatures Set to Plunge
Mass Protests Erupt as UK Nears Decision on China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London
Prince Harry to Return to UK to Testify in High-Profile Media Trial Against Associated Newspapers
Keir Starmer Rejects Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat as ‘Completely Wrong’
Trump to hit Europe with 10% tariffs until Greenland deal is agreed
Prince Harry Returns to UK High Court as Final Privacy Trial Against Daily Mail Publisher Begins
Britain Confronts a Billion-Pound Wind Energy Paradox Amid Grid Constraints
The graduate 'jobpocalypse': Entry-level jobs are not shrinking. They are disappearing.
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
The Return of the Hands: Why the AI Age Is Rewriting the Meaning of “Real Work”
UK PM Kier Scammer Ridicules Tories With "Kamasutra"
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
United Kingdom and Norway Endorse NATO’s ‘Arctic Sentry’ Mission Including Greenland
Woman Claiming to Be Freddie Mercury’s Secret Daughter Dies at Forty-Eight After Rare Cancer Battle
UK Launches First-Ever ‘Town of Culture’ Competition to Celebrate Local Stories and Boost Communities
Planned Sale of Shell and Exxon’s UK Gas Assets to Viaro Energy Collapses Amid Regulatory and Market Hurdles
UK Intensifies Arctic Security Engagement as Trump’s Greenland Rhetoric Fuels Allied Concern
Meghan Markle Could Return to the UK for the First Time in Nearly Four Years If Security Is Secured
Meghan Markle Likely to Return to UK Only if Harry Secures Official Security Cover
UAE Restricts Funding for Emiratis to Study in UK Amid Fears Over Muslim Brotherhood Influence
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks to Safeguard Long-Term Agreement Stability
Starmer’s Push to Rally Support for Action Against Elon Musk’s X Faces Setback as Canada Shuns Ban
UK Free School Meals Expansion Faces Political and Budgetary Delays
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks With Britain
Germany Hit by Major Airport Strikes Disrupting European Travel
Prince Harry Seeks King Charles’ Support to Open Invictus Games on UK Return
Washington Holds Back as Britain and France Signal Willingness to Deploy Troops in Postwar Ukraine
Elon Musk Accuses UK Government of Suppressing Free Speech as X Faces Potential Ban Over AI-Generated Content
Russia Deploys Hypersonic Missile in Strike on Ukraine
OpenAI and SoftBank Commit One Billion Dollars to Energy and Data Centre Supplier
UK Prime Minister Starmer Reaffirms Support for Danish Sovereignty Over Greenland Amid U.S. Pressure
UK Support Bolsters U.S. Seizure of Russian-Flagged Tanker Marinera in Atlantic Strike on Sanctions Evasion
×