The actress spoke up in defense of Sesame Street after the defunding of PBS with a heartwarming tribute of her own!
Actress and activist Holly Robinson Peete took to social media to share a powerful reminder about her family’s deep connection to Sesame Street—and why its legacy must be protected.
“My dad was the original Gordon on Sesame Street,” Peete wrote. “I literally and figuratively grew up on this Street 💚💛 He introduced the world to Big Bird (before all his feathers came in 😜) and Mr. Hooper and Oscar and Grover and all the people in the neighborhood…”
Her father, the late Matt Robinson, helped launch the revolutionary show in 1969, serving as a producer and playing Gordon, the very first friendly face to greet audiences on that now-iconic block. He wasn’t just a cast member; he was a pioneer helping bring to life a new vision of children’s television rooted in care, education, and representation.
“Imagine a world where that never happened—because PBS was defunded. 🤦🏽♀️” Peete continued. “Sesame Street was created so inner city Black and brown children could see themselves represented on TV on a diverse street full of education, care and compassion. It was 1969… Stations in places like Mississippi initially refused to carry it… We can’t let this legacy be erased.”
What Peete described wasn’t just nostalgia—it was an accurate recount of a televised revolution.
The creation of Sesame Street was a direct response to the racial and social unrest following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In the wake of his death, the Black Psychiatrists of America, led by visionary Dr. Chester Pierce, sought ways to fight systemic racism, including its grip on children’s media.
Dr. Pierce believed television could either reinforce harmful stereotypes or become a radical tool for healing. In 1970, he joined the show’s development as a senior advisor and brought with him a mental health mission: to use Sesame Street as a “therapeutic intervention” that would affirm and uplift Black and brown children across the country.
Launched in 1969, Sesame Street portrayed an idealized inner-city neighborhood where characters of all races lived and learned together. This wasn’t accidental. It was intentional. It was the result of people like Matt Robinson and Dr. Chester Pierce pushing for a media landscape that reflected the diversity and dignity of real life. The show’s “hidden curriculum” aimed to build self-respect in Black children, while modeling a multicultural society for all kids to see.
Even as the show broke barriers, it faced pushback. Mississippi’s public television commission initially banned it, claiming discomfort with the integrated cast. But the wave couldn’t be stopped. Sesame Street grew into the most successful children’s television show of all time, introducing characters who helped explain everything from autism to homelessness, and always centering care and inclusion.
Over 50 years later, Sesame Street still stands—teaching, uplifting, and uniting. And thanks to trailblazers like Matt Robinson and Dr. Chester Pierce, that street became a place where generations of children, especially Black and brown ones, could see themselves reflected in a world of joy, justice, and possibility.
Now with a new era of obstacles and the current executive administration cutting funding to PBS, many have stood up in defense of its programming, chiefly Sesame Street. The programming just inked a new streaming deal with Netflix that will help ensure its legacy is preserved while staying on the free broadcasting network to maintain accessibility for all.
As Peete reminds us, “We can’t let this legacy be erased.” Not now. Not ever.
Cover photo: Holly Robinson Peete Pays Tribute to Late Father Who Was a Star on Sesame Street/Photo credit: Sesame Workshop/Sesame Street