On November 10, 1969, television was about to change forever, although for many it was just another children’s program, like all those that were broadcast at that time. However, Sesame Street did something that the others overlooked: it aimed to entertain and educate at the same time, without being sponsored by a brand (at that time, all children’s programs had sponsorship, usually from adult brands) and with total freedom. Now we know that the experiment was a success, and more than five decades later, every child in the world can recognize Elmo, Epi, Blas, or the Cookie Monster (even more so after its future move to Netflix). However, it almost didn’t happen due to a racial conflict that, sadly, still resonates to this day.
Netflix against racism (more or less)
To understand the revolution that Sesame Street represented, we must go back to its beginnings, when the series premiered and the first character to speak was black: “Sally, you’ve never seen a neighborhood like Sesame Street. Everything happens here. You’re going to love it.” The program was made by a terribly diverse team, but at its heart it aimed to be a small Harlem where children could go out to play and interact. Of course, not everyone viewed it positively, and it didn’t take six months before someone wanted to ban it… for trying to instill respect for others.
In 1969, the Mississippi State Commission was made up of exclusively white people who could not understand how it was possible for a children’s program to contradict them, even for a single moment. And, obviously, they voted against its broadcast: during the hour of Sesame Street, the children of Mississippi would not be able to watch it, according to one of the commission members, because “Some people were very opposed to the series because it used a very integrated cast of children”. They were different times, I suppose.
The commission itself acknowledged that it was their fault, and that the state was not “ready yet” to see it, despite everyone around them, from educators to psychology experts, confirming that nothing was wrong. The program was a success, but it didn’t matter: the decision was more than made. In fact, even other states were preparing to cancel it, but the public turned against them and orchestrated protests for it to be aired again as if nothing had happened.
The newspapers even turned against Mississippi, indicating that there was no place in all of the United States that needed Sesame Street more than this. In the end, and probably after a few heated meetings, Mississippi ended up lifting the ban after just 22 days, proving that one can dream of a better world. Many years have passed, and Sesame Street continues, fighting against all odds (including the restrictions from Donald Trump), now educating kids through Netflix.
Interestingly, the program has now decided that it is time to change, and will focus each episode on an 11-minute story, putting the characters at the center. Additionally, it will have a new animated segment where we can see the apartment building from the inside, with Elmo, the Cookie Monster, and the rest of the puppets ready to continue educating the little ones at home… And the not-so-little ones. After all, Netflix will also make 90 hours of vintage Sesame Street available for an adult audience wanting to remember better times. After all, at one time or another, we have all lived there.