Sesame Street is not only a show meant for educating children. In fact, the show is widely regarded as an influential program for sculpting each generation of Americans to make the world a better place. One subject that has only recently reached the focus of Sesame Street is that of racial diversity and immigrant Americans.
In March of 2022, a poet named Amanda Gorman guest-starred for a special episode of the series where she discussed skin color and the importance of being an 'upstander' with the audience. During her appearance, Gorman explains how an upstander "uses their kind words or actions to help their friends or themselves when they're being treated unfairly and unkindly."
As this episode continues, Gorman and a few recurring characters of the show put a special emphasis on not treating anybody differently because of their race, religion, language, or culture. According to Mashable, a quote rings out to the young audience of Sesame Street, stating simply that "all skin is beautiful."
Gorman's history of representation in media isn't limited to this sole appearance, however. In fact, she is the first National Youth Poet Laureate in history. In fact, at the age of seventeen, Gorman had published her first book of poetry titled, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough.
