A video of the Sesame Place character Rosita seemingly ignoring two children at a parade has some critics accusing the park employee of racism.
“#BabyPaige & her cute lil friends went to @SesamePlace this weekend to celebrate Paige’s 4th birthday & this is how #SesamePlace treated these beautiful Black children. I’m HOT,” a Twitter user wrote along with a short video clip of the incident, which was also shared to Instagram. While walking in the parade, the amusement park employee dressed as Rosita is seen gesturing no to something, then walks away before greeting the two girls.
“WHATTTTTTT. Oh hell no. This is heartbreaking. Why are people so damn mean?” one commenter responded. “Is this how you treat our babies? I was planning on taking my children this year but not if they’ll be subjected to this type of treatment. Gross.”
“I just want to know one thing. Was this employee terminated? Because they don’t need training, they need to be gone,” another person wrote.
#BabyPaige & her cute lil friends went to @SesamePlace this weekend to celebrate Paige's 4th birthday & this is how #SesamePlace treated these beautiful Black children. I'm HOT. pic.twitter.com/wATjpRzUF1
— Leslie Mac (@LeslieMac) July 17, 2022
Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland also weighed in on the video. “Ok so, had that been me, that whole parade would have been in flames,” she shared to Instagram on Sunday. “Like, are you serious? You’re not going to speak to my child?” And did you see that baby’s face at the end? The little one with the pink on? She deserves an explanation. Hello.”
Sesame Place is a theme park located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, which features a variety of rides, shows, and water attractions all based on the popular show. They also have employees dressed in costume that children can interact with in the park.
The video clip started gaining attention after being shared on social media, which led to Sesame Place offering a statement via their Instagram page.
“Our brand, our park and our employees stand for inclusivity and equality in all forms,” the statement read. “Regarding the incident yesterday, the costumes our performers wear sometimes make it difficult to see at lower levels and sometimes our performers miss hug requests from guests.”
“The performer portraying the Rosita character has confirmed that the ‘no’ hand gesture seen several times in the video was not directed to any specific person, rather it was a response to multiple requests from someone in the crowd who asked Rosita to hold their child for a photo which is not permitted,” the explanation continued.
The statement also said that a representative for the park spoke to the family and invited them to a special meet and greet opportunity with the characters.
On Monday, Sesame Place issued a second apology.
“We sincerely apologize to the family for their experience in our park on Saturday; we know that it’s not ok. We are taking actions to do better. We are committed to making this right. We will conduct training for our employees so they better understand, recognize and deliver an inclusive, equitable, and entertaining experience for our guests,” the second statement read.
“For over 40 years Sesame Place has worked to uphold the values of respect, inclusion and belonging. We are committed to doing a better job making children and families feel special, seen and included when they come to our parks.”
That apology is not enough for some followers on social media, though. “Time to shut it down!” the top Instagram comment says.