On Saturday, Elmo, Big Bird, CNN commentator Van Jones, anchor Erica Hill and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms helped answer questions submitted by children and families across the country regarding the state of affairs in the nation right now.
The town hall, hosted by CNN and “Sesame Street,” encouraged parents and their children talk about racism, building empathy and embracing diversity. The name of the program was “Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism.”
“What is your message to these kids at home who want to know how they can change things?” Jones asked Bottoms.
“My message to them is keep being who you are. Keep loving each other. And when you see someone who’s doing something wrong or saying something wrong, say that it is wrong,” Bottoms answered. “Make sure when your friends sometimes do things they shouldn’t do, that you say to them that, ‘That’s not right, you shouldn’t do that,’ and say it with love, and just lead by example.”
A 9-year-old from Illinois asked the question, “If black people contributed so much to society, why are they being treated so badly?”
Bottoms said that is a question that has been asked for generations.
“I don’t know if we will have the answer to that. But what I know is just like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream for his four children that they would be judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin, we have to continue to dream and hope and work on that this country will live up to that,” Bottoms said. “Some people just don’t know any better. Some people say that hurt people, hurt people, and I think that’s what happens when see black and brown people being treated unfairly.”
Big Bird chimed in, introducing a questioner who asked how to respond when a classmate asks, “Why do black lives matter when all lives matter?”
“You just have to explain to them that there is a history for black people in this country that’s not like any other race in this country. We are the only race of people who came to this country enslaved. And it’s the reason that we have to continue to call on our history and speak our history,” Bottoms said.
Watch clips from the town hall below:
“Not all streets are like Sesame Street. … What we are seeing is people saying 'enough is enough.' They want to end racism.”@Elmo’s dad Louie explains why people are protesting across the US. https://t.co/icV04F4FNW #CNNSesameStreet pic.twitter.com/1efrMAzZ8V
— CNN (@CNN) June 6, 2020
8-year-old Xavier: “Nana used to protest in the 1960s. Why do we have to do this again and again?”
— CNN (@CNN) June 6, 2020
“People are again protesting and marching and speaking up so that your Nana, you, and everyone else never has to experience racism again,” neighbor Gordon says. #CNNSesameStreet pic.twitter.com/sqq7Nc03Og
9-year-old Saniya: "What is a good way to deal with racism when I encounter it?”
— CNN (@CNN) June 6, 2020
Professor Jennifer Harvey: “Find an...adult you trust, who you know loves you, to help you name it as racism and talk about what's going on … We can all be anti-racist together.” #CNNSesameStreet pic.twitter.com/sOkrNU9nDI
Mayor @KeishaBottoms joined @CNN and @SesameStreet
— City of Atlanta, GA (@CityofAtlanta) June 6, 2020
for a Town Hall to speak with parents and their children about racism, building empathy and embracing our diversity. #CNNSesameStreet pic.twitter.com/gCsWIp2Xng
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