Cartoon Network has released the third anti-racism PSA in a series of four developed by Emmy-nominated Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar and OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes creator Ian Jones-Quartey, aimed at providing kids and families with productive ways to disrupt the common narratives about racism.
The latest PSA, titled “See Color,” features Steven Universe’s Amethyst (voiced by Michaela Dietz) launched Tuesday morning on Cartoon Network’s YouTube channel and across the network’s social media platforms.
“See Color” was developed in partnership with Dr. Deborah J. Johnson, with additional consulting from Dr. Kira H. Banks and Dr. Allen E. Lipscomb. Dr. Johnson is a developmental psychologist who received her doctoral degree in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University. Her research explores racially and culturally related development, parental racial socialization and coping, and cultural adjustment from early childhood through emerging adulthood, in both domestic and global children and youth.
“These PSAs offer a compact message of antiracism targeted toward messaging justice, fairness, inclusion and allyship based in research evidence,” explained Dr. Johnson. “The PSAs are bold, bringing the complex issues of society around race, gender, identity and inclusion, intensely into focus in a language and with images children can understand. If we can capture children’s attention and early learning around these issues, our society has a chance to make and maintain shifts in equity for the long term.”
Viewers can log on to www.crystalgemsspeakup.com for links to the PSAs, as well as social justice organizations and additional tools and information.
