“Before you even think twice, see if someone needs a hand. Be nice, and help them if you can,” Elmo sings joyfully in the 2016 holiday special “Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas.” Built on the foundation of kindness and holiday cheer, the HBO-premiered special earned a 2017 Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program, reflecting the sentiment that the show is a universally affirming, positive and empowering show for developing minds.
Fast-forward to 2025: “Sesame Street” is treading uncharted waters following the recent termination of Max’s partnership with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit media organization behind the show. With Max opting out of the series’ licensing agreement for new episodes, beloved fans began to question whether the broadcast network PBS, which has aired “Sesame Street” episodes since 1970, will serve as the main streaming home for Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird.
Then, due to the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Sesame Workshop production weathered a financial loss from federal grant cuts. Trump is also expected to propose a $1.1 billion budget reduction targeting public media such as PBS and NPR. The show’s 1998 “Ronald Grump” parody really resonates now.
So, what happens to Elmo and his lessons in kindness? Because it kind of feels like we need them now more than ever.
Across the internet, viewers are concerned about the lovable red monster’s future amid all of the political discourse. However, for some fans, this revelation comes as no surprise, considering the show’s insistence on inclusivity during this administration’s increasingly anti-DEI atmosphere. But first, we need to acknowledge the historic impact of “Sesame Street” on Black and brown families and consider why the show’s messaging and morals matter.
Debuting in November 1969, the program emerged on PBS following President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, an initiative aimed at decreasing the educational gap between rich and poor families in the United States. The War on Poverty was derived from the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which addressed American poverty through the launch of programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and Head Start. Johnson proposed to level the financial playing field for every citizen, including low-income families.
Around that time, 32% of Black Americans lived below the poverty line, with a median income of about $24,000 in 1964. On the heels of the Civil Rights Act, the War on Poverty was woven into Johnson’s Great Society strategy to expand welfare programs, establish more job opportunities, and highlight racial inequality within the nation.
In 1965, the Head Start program was launched following the suggestions of early childhood development experts, who advocated for different approaches to assist economically disadvantaged children. Thus, show creators Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett developed their revolutionary idea in 1966, which intertwined the 1960s television craze and education by creating cute and colorful puppet characters to entertain kids.
“Sesame Street” intentionally takes place on an urban street to serve as a means of representation. In mid-1960s New York, predominantly Black and Latino areas like Harlem and the Bronx were subjected to housing shortages, a lack of police protection, and educational inequity, despite their communities accounting for a smaller percentage of the city’s overall population. The show’s location is essential in reflecting the streets where so many viewers lived, separate from the traditional classroom setting used in other children’s shows.
But Cooney strived for kids to see themselves beyond just location. Loretta Long and Matt Robinson, two African American actors, became recurring (non-puppet) cast members on “Sesame Street” in 1969, before the kids classic introduced its first Hispanic cast member, Sonia Manzano, in 1971. Manzano portrayed Maria Figueroa Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican resident who worked at the Fix-It Shop. The series has regularly incorporated celebrity guests — many with diverse ethnic and multilingual backgrounds — since the appearance of James Earl Jones in 1969.
That’s what attracted Brooklyn native Jade Walters to the accessible programming of “Sesame Street.” A child of Barbadian immigrants, Walters was a first-generation public school student who developed an attachment to the show, especially to Elmo, her mother told her. “When I learned how to read at 2 years old, the show played a big role in my education alongside my love of reading, writing and learning,” Walters says.
The dynamic use of language in “Sesame Street” contributes to advancements in children’s cognitive functioning and reading comprehension on an international scale. A 2013 meta-analysis published by the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, involving over 10,000 children from 15 countries, found significant improvement in children’s language skills compared with those who weren’t regularly exposed to the show.
“The repetition of the rhymes and songs in ’Sesame Street’ allowed me to understand words better,” recalls Vany Woods, who is of Dominican heritage. “Because there is a Spanish equivalent, ‘Plaza Sesamo,’ it was easy to relate to the characters, especially when the show featured Big Bird’s cousin Abelardo.” As a result, learning tools like Sesame Street English, an English as a Foreign Language program, were designed to teach non-English speakers how to understand English as a second language.
“Sesame Street” has never shied away from tackling difficult topics, often highlighting relevant themes through various characters’ circumstances. From addiction in families and global conflict, to homelessness and racial discrimination, the subject matter has included complex and sometimes taboo conversations tailored to children’s levels of understanding.
But considering the Trump administration’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion, is “Sesame Street” inherently controversial?
Following a March congressional hearing on the defunding of PBS and NPR, California Rep. Robert Garcia referenced notable characters like Elmo and Big Bird as examples of how the administration is silencing public broadcasters. “Is Elmo now, or has he ever been, a member of the Communist Party of the United States?” Garcia asked the House DOGE subcommittee sarcastically, while holding a poster of the furry monster. “He also has a very dangerous message about sharing and helping each other.”
Although Sesame Workshop identifies as a nonpartisan organization, its messaging about equality and community is deemed fundamentally progressive. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Big Bird drew conservative criticism for a pro-vaccine tweet in 2021. The wholesome show also has broadcast storylines featuring LGBTQ+ family dynamics and anti-racist dialogue, leading to accusations it has succumbed to “wokeism.”
But Big Bird isn’t finished talking just yet.
“All children deserve access to quality early childhood education, and through public television, ‘Sesame Street’ reaches 97% of households in America with proven educational media, helping children arrive at school ready to learn,” a Sesame Workshop spokesperson tells HuffPost. “As we begin production of our 56th season of ‘Sesame Street’ this month, we remain committed to delivering on our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”