Sesame Street introduces two Black Muppets to teach Elmo skin color is 'an important part of who we are'

Sesame Street introduced two Black Muppets this week as part of its initiative to teach children "The ABC's of Racial Literacy."

In addition, the site says, racial literacy means having "the ability to identify racism when it happens," "having strategies to counter or cope with racism," and "understanding the role racism plays in society." "You hold great power to help children better understand this complicated, flawed, often unfair world. Your words matter, and talking honestly and directly about race and diversity is the beginning of racial literacy," Sesame Street in Communities urges parents and guardians. "Even if children don’t understand the nuances of the words, being open to learning new words and understanding ideas from others’ perspectives is always helpful."