![]() She said the reason she stayed was because every generation of kids gave her a new opportunity to do better by them, and get things right. The guest speaker asked rhetorically how she managed to stay on the long-lasting show in spite of its redundant theme of teaching kids the alphabet, counting to 20, and her correcting of characters Elmo, Big Bird and others. Manzano's talk at the high school auditorium touched on "Sesame Street" breaking ground by putting warm and friendly characters of color on TV during the late 1960s, her difficult upbringing in the South Bronx, and the role culture plays in learning. I hope to inspire them to embrace the philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential and greatest man of our times.SOUTHBRIDGE - Sonia Manzano, the actress who played Maria on "Sesame Street" for 44 years, welcomed back teachers in the state-run school district this week with a wide-ranging and culturally relevant keynote address. Commemorative Address about multi-racial Latinos and the civil rights movement?įirst of all, I hope my listeners become aware that Latinos are multi-racial, and that race has nothing to do with culture. I guess I see everything like a play or a movie so even my prose writing has huge sections on dialogue! What do you hope people take away from your Martin Luther King Jr. How has being an actress influenced your approach to writing, and vice versa? But there are many more Latino stories I’d like to hear from more Latinx artists. I thank Sesame Workshop for giving me that opportunity. I am proud of increasing the visibility of Latinos on television. How do you view your role in increasing diversity within television and the influence you carried as one of the first Hispanic characters on national television? Many Latinx people have said seeing me on television made them feel they played a bigger part in our society. One woman told me her mother was mentally ill and one hour of Sesame Street a day provided her only moments of peace. Over the years I’ve heard many touching stories from fans. I thought the 50th Anniversary Special was a perfect blend of the old and the new. What has been your favorite part about marking the 50Th anniversary of the show’s first broadcast? What kinds of things have you heard from fans? ![]() I felt I had been one of those underserved children generations before. I could never have imagined the impact the show would have but I was immediately intrigued by its mission of helping underserved children. ![]() When you joined the cast of Sesame Street as Maria, did you have a sense that the show would have the longevity and impact it has had, and that you would be an integral part of it for so long? I could escape my situation and go into a world of creativity. It proved to me that I had been right in thinking there was more to life than my parents’ hardship. What did it mean to you to first see your career dreams start to come true? You’ve written about how your dream of becoming an actress carried you through turbulent times early in your life. In advance of her visit, the Elon University News Bureau reached out to Manzano for her thoughts on a variety of issues. Commemorative Address, a talk titled “Multi-Racial Latinos & the Civil Rights Movement.” More details about her visit and about how to obtain tickets are available here. 14, to deliver the Martin Luther King Jr. An Emmy Award winner, she’s added to her accolades as an author, with children’s and young adult titles along with her memoir, “Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx.” For more than 40 years, Sonia Manzano inspired, educated and delighted children as “Maria” on “Sesame Street” after breaking ground as one of the first Hispanic characters on national television.
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