New Muppets in Town

Sesame Street has two new residents. Elijah Walker is a weather forecaster. He has a son. The boy’s name is Wesley. He’s 5. They are part of a new effort. Sesame Street wants to answer kids’ questions about race and racism. It wants to help families talk about these issues.

Chris Thomas Hayes plays Elijah. “I think learning about race and equality is important,” Hayes told TIME for Kids. It’s “important to recognize our differences,” he says. “But also to understand that we can talk about differences.”