Remembering the Architects of Sesame Street: Biopolitics, Blackness, and Preschool in the 1960s

This conceptual article critically examines the formative years of Sesame Street (1966-1970) as an in-depth exploration of edutainment, centering analysis on the people or “architects” (Watkins, 2001), processes, and ideology involved in the production of the curriculum of the first season. Unpacking the complexities and contradictions within Sesame Street’s historic representations of marginalized populations, this analysis synthesizes interdisciplinary scholarship, documentaries, primary sources, and “grey literature” to trace the tangled threads of power from private equity and corporate philanthropy to the intended homes of Black families. It considers the early years of Sesame Street as they contributed to the biopolitical turn in preschool discourses via neuroscience, the seemingly forgotten possibility of Head Start expansion, and the emergent sovereignty of the market under neoliberal politics. In looking toward the future of edutainment or other educational technology innovations, researchers and stakeholders in education are urged to carefully consider the organizations, individuals, and processes of curriculum design and implementation.