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Coming Together: Sesame Street Resources on Racial Literacy

Sesame Workshop continues its major commitment to racial justice with new resources and content called “Coming Together” to help families talk to young children about race and identity. 

All kids need a strong individual and group identity, but racism hurts the healthy development of both, as well as our entire society. Whether you and the children in your care are directly affected by racism or you’re allies of those who are, engaging honestly and directly with little ones is the beginning of building racial literacy (the skills needed to talk thoughtfully about race and to identify and respond to racism). 

Please note: All of the resources listed below and available through Sesame Street in Communities are designed for co-viewing, co-learning, and co-participation – meaning that to create the most meaningful experience and takeaways, adults and children should use them together.

I Am Somebody Song:

I Am Somebody (Giant Song) #ComingTogether
You and Me Makes We Song #ComingTogether
#ComingTogether Playlist

Coming Together is rooted in extensive research and consultation with experts to develop a groundbreaking Racial Justice educational framework and curriculum for young children. Like the science-based whole-child model that Sesame Street is known for, this framework will help guide and inform the creation of new Sesame Workshop content going forward—including future seasons of Sesame Street. This collection of resources are designed to provide families with the tools they need to build racial literacy, to have open conversations with young children, to engage allies and advocates to become upstanders against racism, and more, Coming Together includes a racial justice educational framework, ongoing research, and a rolling release of new content.

Where to Find Coming Together Resources: You can find all of the resources connected to Coming Together and Racial Justice by following the below links.

Learn More: Sesame Street in Communities Race, Ethnicity, and Culture Resources

Searching for Timbuctoo On-Demand:

This film tells the little-known story of a Black settlement, established in the wilds of upstate New York. It brought together a group of ardent abolitionists willing to risk their fortunes, their families, and their futures to destroy slavery.

In 1846, in an effort to level a blow against racism, wealthy New York landowner and well-known abolitionist leader, Gerrit Smith, gave away 120,000 acres of wild land to nearly 3000 African-American men so that they could have the right to vote in the State of New York. His ‘scheme of justice and benevolence’ helped establish a Black settlement that brought together a diverse group of black and white abolitionists –including a struggling sheep farmer named John Brown — committed to ending slavery. 

What Smith could not know is that his plan would also lead one man to the brink of insanity; send another to the gallows, and help hurtle the nation towards a catastrophic civil war. Searching For Timbuctoo reveals the hidden history of this long lost community and follows an archaeology team trying to unearth it. 

Goin’ Back to T-Town On-Demand

American Experience presents Goin’ Back to T-Town. Goin’ Back to T-Town tells the story of Greenwood, an extraordinary Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that prospered during the 1920s and 30s despite rampant and hostile segregation. Torn apart in 1921 by one of the worst racially-motivated massacres in the nation’s history, the neighborhood rose from the ashes, and by 1936 boasted the largest concentration of Black-owned businesses in the U.S. Available through 2/7/2024.

Education Resources on Race, Racism, Civil Rights, & Diversity

WXXI Education staff collected resources from PBS LearningMedia to support educators and families while discussing the following topics: race, racism, protesting, civil rights, Black history and historical individuals, bias, past and current events, and more. 

This is a list of curated educational resources for educators and families to use with their students and children. These resources are not to be used alone, but instead to integrate with other educational materials (conversations, lessons, speeches, video clips, books, etc.) to provide students with the most context and meaningful knowledge. 

Please note: 

  • These resources are free and open for all to use. 
  • This is not an exhaustive list of resources. 
  • These educational materials are to be used in conjunction with other resources, conversations, and instruction to provide the most complete context for students.
  • As with all educational materials, please preview these resources prior to utilizing with students to check for appropriateness.

PBS LearningMedia Resources: Race, Racism, Protests, Civil Rights, Current Events, and more.

Resources for Young Children on Race, Racism and Diversity

Redlining, Housing and Civil Rights Classroom Resources

PBS LearningMedia has a wide range of learning resources for students in grades 7-12th grade, focused on public housing and civil rights. East Lake Meadows, the public housing project opened by the Atlanta Housing Authority in 1970 and demolished a generation later, and provides resources to understand housing policy and racism.  

The East Lake Meadows film tells the stories of more than a dozen families who lived in the community between the 1970s and its demolition in the mid-1990s, including the Lightfoot family and four generations of the family of Eva Davis, the long-time tenant leader at East Lake Meadows. The film documents the tremendous hardships faced by East Lake families; the lack of access to grocery stores and fresh produce; the impact of devastating unemployment and poverty; conditions that included mold, leaky pipes, and collapsing walls and ceilings; and the seemingly ubiquitous presence of crime, drugs and guns. It also follows the births of children, celebration of holidays, daily activities in schools and the ways in which residents were “making a way out of no way.”

See East Lake Meadow Program Clips

To further this conversation, WXXI Education has pulled together educational resources (appropriate for 7-12th grade) from PBS LearningMedia:

Local Discussion of East Lake Meadows & Rochester’s Experience with Public Housing

Discussion of Rochester, NY Redlining Policies and Past

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Classroom Resources

WXXI Education staff collected resources from PBS to support educators and families while learning about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

This is a list of curated educational resources for educators and families to use with their students and children. These resources are not to be used alone, but instead to integrate with other educational materials (conversations, lessons, speeches, video clips, books, etc.) to provide students with the most context and meaningful knowledge. 

Please note: 

  • These resources are free and open for all to use. 
  • This is not an exhaustive list of resources. 
  • These educational materials are to be used in conjunction with other resources, conversations, and instruction to provide the most complete context for students.
  • These resources are appropriate for middle and high school students, unless otherwise noted.
  • As with all educational materials, please preview these resources prior to utilizing with students to check for appropriateness.

Lessons, Video Clips, & Activities from PBS LearningMedia (for grades 6-12):

  • The Life & Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Historians reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his role in the Civil Rights Movement.
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Leader: In the second half of the 20th century, racial tensions rose in the US as African Americans began to challenge unjust laws that supported discrimination and segregation. This movement found its leader in the patient and inspiring minister, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will watch a short video and engage in two primary source activities in order to explore how King’s deep-seated commitment to nonviolence contributed to the expansion of social justice in the United States, particularly for African Americans.
  • Excerpts from the March on Washington – Part 1 & Part 2: 
    • Part 1: The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech dominates popular history of the August 1963 March on Washington, but the day was full of speakers and performers. This audio compilation captures the voices of A. Philip Randolph, Ralph Abernathy, Roy Wilkins, Walter Reuther, Ralph Bunche, and Daisy Bates.
    • Part 2: At the 1963 March on Washington, civil rights leaders offered a “Tribute to Women,” which recognized the leadership roles of women in the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the widows of civil rights leaders who were murdered for their activism. This recording pays tribute to Rosa Parks, Daisy Bates, Diane Nash, Mrs. Herbert Lee, Mrs. Medgar Evers, and Gloria Richardson. 
  • Road to Memphis – Dr. King Launches the Poor People’s Campaign: In 1968, Martin Luther King launched the Poor People’s Campaign to bring people together across racial lines to fight systemic poverty. Video from, American Experience: “Roads to Memphis.”
  • Freedom Summer: Civil Rights Workers Disappear: The disappearance of civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner occurred on June 21, at the very beginning of what became known as “Freedom Summer,” as seen in this video from American Experience: “1964.” Although their bodies were not found until August, the resulting media attention increased national awareness of the violence and injustices facing blacks every day in Mississippi and the white volunteers who had come to join in the fight. This resource is part of the American Experience Collection.
  • Malcolm X Challenges Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Goals: Watch Malcolm X challenge Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision for racial equality in this 1963 interview with Kenneth Clarke from WGBH’s “The Negro and the American Promise.” Excerpted from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: “Malcolm X.”
  • Students Reflect on “I Have a Dream” Speech: Hear students’ thoughts on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and examine the state of equality in the U.S. with videos from Student Reporting Labs and a discussion guide.
  • Reaction to the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr, 1968: Citizens gather at a public rally in Boston, Massachusetts, following the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., in this archival news footage from April 1968. One speaker featured in the footage states that King had been “prepared to give his life for justice in America” in Boston and in the various cities King had visited throughout the South. Another speaker talks about America’s unwillingness—not its inability—to end racism, questions the meaning of “law and order,” and calls violence the “inevitable outcome of oppression.”

Lesson Plans From PBS NewsHour (for grades 9-12):

  • The March on Washington & It’s Impact: Students will read Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement, King’s philosophy and practice of peaceful resistance, the immediate impact of the March on society at the time and the long-term significance of the March.
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s “I Have a Dream” Speech as Visual Text: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Students will examine why the speech was a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement and explain their analysis through a visual drawing or illustration.
  • Martin Luther King Jr.s “I Have a Dream” Speech as a Work of Literature: Students will study Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and discuss the rhetorical influences on King’s speech, the oratorical devices that King used in delivering his speech and how a speech is similar to/different from other literary forms.
  • Music & Speeches at the March on Washington: In this lesson, explore the full range of events and speeches given at the historic March on Washington led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders of the civil rights movement.
  • MLK Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and the Capitol Hill Attack: In this lesson, students will be asked to examine some overt examples of racism at the Capitol Hill Riot on Jan. 6. They will also be asked to consider some other signs of white supremacy and racism surrounding events leading up to, during and after the riot. Students will analyze Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “The Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” including the section in which he wrote “the Negroes’ great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom…[is] the white moderate.” Finally, students will consider how the Letter might offer some prescriptions for racism in 2021 and beyond.

Additional connected resources:

Norm & Company: Dr. Walter Cooper On-Demand

Scientist, activist, educator, and humanitarian Dr. Walter Cooper joins WXXI President Norm Silverstein for an episode of Norm & Company, a monthly series where long-time Rochesterians recount fascinating stories about their lives in our community. Dr. Cooper shares stories about his college days at the University of Rochester, his work as a research scientist for Eastman Kodak Company, and his strong involvement in civil rights and education issue. Dr. Cooper received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Rochester in 1956 and worked as a research scientist at Eastman Kodak Company for more than 30 years. During his time at Kodak he became very active in civil rights and educational issues, and is still today. The Democrat and Chronicle has called Dr. Walter Cooper a “superhero” because of his contributions to the Rochester community, his devotion to equality, and his commitment to young people. 

Flight to Freedom On-Demand

Flight to Freedom is produced by WXXI and narrated by Cicely Tyson. The film traces the evolution of the Slave System and the Freedom Trails of the North.” In addition to examining archival photographs, records, artifacts, and interviews with national experts and descendants of slaves, conductors, and abolitionists, this program includes examples of spirituals sung by slaves as part of the “code” system, and visits homes which were used as shelters. The program highlights Rochester, New York, which was at the heart of the railroad, where passengers were hidden by Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman and others. 

Produced by WXXI in 2000, this complete story of the Underground Railroad, narrated by Cicely Tyson, profiles the people, places, and events behind one of the most remarkable chapters of American history. It chronicles the rise of the slave system and follows the many freedom trails northward — from Memphis up the Mississippi, from Kentucky to Ripley, Maryland to Philadelphia, through upstate New York and into Canada. 

Part 2

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