Kelly Rowland slams Sesame Place after claims it “ignored” young Black girls

nme.com:

Kelly Rowland has slammed Sesame Place after claims it “ignored” two young Black girls who went to visit the theme park last weekend.Rowland called out Sesame Place – a US theme park based on the children’s TV show Sesame Street – after the incident, which went viral after a video was shared of the moment.

A performer dressed as Sesame Street character Rosita seemingly ignores two young Black children who try to catch the attention of the character at the theme park.

The performer then appears to offer a “no” gesture to the young girls while shaking the hands of others around them.The video, posted by digital strategist Leslie Mac from her daughter Paige’s 4th birthday, was spotted by Rowland who later shared it on her Instagram stories.The Destiny’s Child singer reposted it to her Instagram Story on Sunday (July 17) with the caption: “OH HELL NAWWW.” She later added: “OK, so had that been me that whole parade would’ve been in flames.”The theme park issued a statement after the video was widely shared, writing: “We sincerely apologise to the family for their experience in our park on Saturday; we know that it’s not ok.

We will conduct training for our employees so they better understand, recognise and deliver an inclusive, equitable and entertaining experience to our guests.”They went on to say that “our brand, our park and our employees stand for inclusivity and equality in all forms” and that the “no” gesture was “not directed at any specific person,” but was instead “a response to multiple requests from someone in the crowd who asked Rosita to hold their child for a photo which is not permitted.”Sesame Place also said in the statement that the employee in the costume “did not intentionally ignore the girls and is.