Silencing Sesame Street
Imagine a child in a rural town who begins each day watching Sesame Street while her parents prepare for work. For her, Big Bird and Elmo aren’t just colorful characters, they’re early educators. They help her count, learn new words, and understand feelings. Now imagine one day, her learning lifeline was cut, not because she did anything wrong, but because her government decided her education wasn’t worth the cost.
In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): the nonprofit organization that supports PBS, NPR, and over 1,500 local stations across the country. This wasn’t just another budget adjustment It was a hit to one of the most reliable sources of free, high-quality information, and education in America. Especially for communities who can’t afford cable TV or subscription news services.
In his executive order Trump claimed that “we are well covered, look at all the people we have here today,” and that public broadcasting is “a waste of money.” But who is “we”? He says that in a room full of billionaires and political insiders people who have held power and privilege for generations. Certainly not the families in underserved neighborhoods who rely on local NPR stations during power outages for emergency weather updates. Not the millions of children whose parents depend on PBS Kids to supplement learning at home. And not the educators in low-income schools who use Sesame Street to reinforce lessons in reading and math. “We” are not just the wealthy and the powerful. We are the people middle-class, working-class, and low-income families who believe knowledge and education should not be luxuries.
The decision sent shockwaves throughout the country, with NPR, along with three public radio stations in Colorado, suing the Trump administration in federal court. They argued that the executive order violates the First Amendment by punishing public media outlets for perceived political bias. The lawsuit called it “textbook retaliation” against journalists for doing their job: holding power accountable.The CPB has long been more than just a funding source, it’s been a lifeline. And nowhere is that clearer than in the impact of programs like Sesame Street.
In a 2015 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, researchers found that children who lived in areas with better access to Sesame Street were more likely to be academically on track by third grade. The show specifically had the greatest benefits for boys, Black children, and those in economically disadvantaged areas. For many kids, especially those in homes where English isn’t the first language, Sesame Street is their first teacher, their first exposure to reading, numbers, and empathy.
The show has never just been about ABCs and 123s. It’s been about belonging, about showing every child that they matter, no matter where they live or how much money their parents make. A 2019 Sesame Workshop survey found that 73% of parents believe Sesame Street helped prepare their kids for school. That kind of reach especially in low-income households is something no private platform can replicate.
PBS President Paula Kerger has called the Trump administration’s action “blatantly unlawful” and warned that if the cuts go through, many stations in small or rural communities may not survive. Some rely on CPB for up to half of their funding. Without that support, local news, emergency alerts, cultural programming, and children’s shows, could all disappear. This isn’t just about television. It’s about trust, safety, and learning. And most of all, it’s about the kind of country we want to be.
When a government decides that information and education only matter for those who can pay, it betrays the very idea of democracy. Public broadcasting was created to serve everyone no matter their zip code or income. If we allow it to wither, we send a dangerous message: that truth, learning, and community don’t matter unless they’re profitable.We are not powerless. We can stand up for the stations that have stood by us for generations. We can speak out for the children who can’t vote yet but deserve to learn. We can defend public broadcasting not because it’s convenient, but because it’s essential. It’s time we remind those in power that public media is not a luxury. It’s a promise. And it’s one we cannot afford to break.