Sesame Street and CNN to address racism in kid-friendly town hall

In the wake of the global protests responding to George Floyd being killed in police custody in Minneapolis last month, Sesame Street and CNN will host a second town hall this Saturday to help families discuss racism with their children.

The hour-long special, Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism, will talk to kids about racism, the recent protests, embracing diversity, and being more empathetic and understanding. Big Bird, CNN commentator Van Jones, and CNN anchor Erica Hill will moderate the event. They will be joined by Sesame Street characters including Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Rosita, as well as various experts answering questions submitted by families. CNN is currently asking parents to send in their questions via the network's website

CNN

Photo: CNN

This will be the second town hall that Sesame Street and CNN have done this year, the first being held in April to address questions kids had about the coronavirus pandemic. That town hall is available to watch online. The original plan was to host a second town hall addressing coronavirus issues for Saturday, May 30, but was postponed a week, then reorganized to address issues of race in the wake of Floyd's death and the resulting protests.

Floyd died on May 25 after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled into his neck for nearly nine minutes. The incident was caught on video and released on social media, leading to protests across the U.S. and in other countries. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder, and three other former officers — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao — have been charged with aiding and abetting murder, according to The New York Times.

The CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall for Kids and Families will air this Saturday at 10AM ET on CNN, CNN International, and CNN en Español. It will also stream live on CNN's website and through the cable network's apps for mobile devices.