A Tiktok video shared by a grateful mother highlighting Black hair representation on Sesame Street has gone viral.
The long-running children’s program has never shied away from being inclusive of all people on a deeply nuanced level and one mother found herself overjoyed by its ability to still surprise us all. TikTok user, @haiamabeauty, recorded a segment in which a Black
muppet explains how her hair is cared for by her auntie. “Next my auntie rinses the regular conditioner out and puts leave- in conditioner in and detangles my hair one more time,” the character said. To add an extra layer of authenticity, all of the action takes place at the sink of the character’s kitchen.The video has already raked up over two million views and has been reshared by users across multiple social media sites.
@haiamabeauty @Sesame Street leading the way! I loved watching this episode with my kid. ➿💕🙌🏾 #naturalhaircare #naturalhairkids ♬ original sound – haiamabeauty
This isn’t the first time Sesame Street has taken the time to provide Black children with an affirming moment for their hair. In 2010, a character
named Shirley sang about her love for her hair and its texture. “Don’t need a trip to the beauty shop cause I love what I got on top,” she sang in the video. ‘It’s curly and it’s brown and it’s right up there!”Throughout the clip, Shirley rocks several different natural styles, expressing love for them all. “I love my hair!” she sings repeatedly. With legislation still being passed to end hair-based discrimination across the nation, teaching Black children to see their crowns as assets and not unwelcome burdens is as important as ever. It’s never too early to learn to love everything about the things that make you special and few shows drive home that point more effectively than Sesame Street
.