By Jacquelyne Germain, Michelle Watson, Amanda Jackson and Caroll Alvarado, CNN
(CNN) — Sesame Place, a “Sesame Street” themed amusement park in Philadelphia, is apologizing after a video shows a costumed character appearing to ignore two Black children during a parade on Saturday.
In the nine-second video shared by the girls’ mother on Instagram, her daughters are seen reaching out for a hug from the character, Rosita. In the video, Rosita seemingly shakes her head no and keeps walking by.
In the caption of the video, the mother called the incident “disgusting.”
“I will never step foot in @sesameplace ever again !” The mother who goes by Jodiii on Instagram said.
“And please feel free to repost this. Actually run me my money back.”
Sesame Place Philadelphia initially released a statement on Monday saying:
“Our brand, our park and our employees stand for inclusivity and equality in all forms. That is what Sesame Place is about and we do not tolerate any behaviors in our parks that are contrary to that commitment. We also are, and have always been, committed to making sure every family and every child has the best possible experience at our parks and we are incredibly disappointed when that does not happen.”
After the video began to gain traction on social media, the theme park released a follow-up statement Monday night saying:
“We sincerely apologize to the family for their experience in our park on Saturday; we know that it’s not ok. We are taking actions to do better. We are committed to making this right. We will conduct training for our employees so they better understand, recognize and deliver an inclusive, equitable and entertaining experience to our guests.”
“For over 40 years Sesame Place has worked to uphold the values of respect, inclusion and belonging. We are committed to doing a better job making children and families feel special, seen and included when they come to our parks.”
CNN has reached out to the girls’ mother for comment.
The video has gone viral and sparked outrage, including from Destiny’s Child’s singer Kelly Rowland, toward the difference in treatment.
Rowland reshared the video posted by the mother on her Instagram story, writing that the incident made her mad.
“So had that been me, that whole parade would’ve been in flames,” Rowland said in her Instagram story video. “Are you serious? You’re not going to speak to my child? And did you see that baby’s face at the end? The little one with the pink on? She deserves an explanation!”
Online, other entertainers, activists and social media users expressed anger toward the incident at the theme park.
