sesame place

‘Day of Progress:' Sesame Place Owners Meet With Rev. Jesse Jackson, Families

The meeting comes after a viral video appeared to show a character at Sesame Place snubbing two young Black girls

NBC Universal, Inc.

Civil rights activists said it was a “day of progress” after a meeting with the owners of Sesame Place in Bucks County over recent claims of discrimination.

The activists, including Reverend Jesse Jackson, held a briefing Thursday afternoon outside of Sesame Workshop in New York, N.Y.

The meeting comes after a viral video appeared to show a character at Sesame Place snubbing two young Black girls.

The family did not have a direct conversation with the CEO of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment – the company that owns Sesame Place – but the other activists did. They said it was a step in the right direction in resolving the matter without litigation.

“It’s not just about one employee in a character outfit having an unfortunate encounter with two little girls on a summer afternoon,” Todd Yeary from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition said at Thursday’s briefing. “It is really about what is the environment that creates the context where that can happen with the world watching to see what the resolution might be.”

Another meeting is expected within the next two weeks.

Earlier this week Sesame Place announced diversity and inclusion training for its employees.

That follows a $25 million class action lawsuit alleging multiple incidents of discrimination at the children’s theme park.

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