Disney World Woody and Jessie Characters Praised for Acknowleding, Hugging Black Children

Proving that kids truly got a friend in Woody and Jessie from "Toy Story," a viral video showing these two popular characters acknowledging and hugging Black children at Disney World is tugging at the heartstrings.

TMZ reported that the video of the Disney World characters, who were entertaining and extending love and kindness to their younger guests, was proudly filmed and uploaded by the children's dad. It showed a girl holding a Jessie doll and calling onto the Jessie mascot as they made their way to the street.

But then Jessie didn't notice her right away as the mascot was on the other side. So, the other character who played Woody tried to get Jessie's attention to tell her that there were fans who were calling out her name.

Woody tried more than once but Jessie was too busy on her side of the street. Woody then walked to her area, tapped Jessie, and pointed to the children. When she saw the child with the Jessie doll, she ran right away and gave her a tight big hug.

The heartwarming moment has been viewed by millions and reshared by close to 400,000 people. It showed how much the internet loved this unforgettable encounter for the Black child.

@lifesigma Woody help make Havyn day!!! She got to get a Hug from Jessie #disneyworld #yougotafriendinme @hey_ma_heyyy #magickingdom #toystory #Woody #Jessie ♬ The Assignment - Tay Money

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A stark contrast to other kids' venues

Netizens said that the reception of the Disney World characters was a stark contrast to the treatment some Black kids received at Sesame Place, after two different families in separate incidents allege that the mascots deliberately ignored their children.

The theme park received such a backlash, forcing Sesame Workshop, the owner of Sesame Place, to issue a statement saying that the staff playing the characters have been devastated by what happened and believed it was a misunderstanding. The nonprofit organization also said that its staff will undergo bias training to ensure that this will not happen again.

However, Quinton Burns, the father of one of the kids, filed a $25-million discrimination lawsuit against the company. Sesame Place said they will review the complaint and address the father's claims in a legal process.

A few weeks later, a Chuck E. Cheese outlet in New Jersey was also accused of discrimination after the mascot failed to acknowledge a Black child, who was the birthday girl. Her mother, Natyana Muhammed, posted the video on Twitter and said that her child was made to feel invisible, per NJ.com.

But a spokesperson for the fast-food company said they were sad to know that the child had a "less than perfect experience" and apologized for the oversight. The spokesperson also acknowledged the family who brought the incident to their attention.

Netizens say Disney World didn't want to get canceled

Despite the positive vibe from the Disney World encounter, some netizens think that Woody and Jessie only paid attention to the Black kids because they did not want to be canceled and accused of racism.

Indy 100 reported that right-wingers took this as a chance to point out that Woody and Jessie's actions were "racially-motivated" so that they won't be smeared on the internet. They said that the child received special treatment and got a big hug because the characters feared the backlash.

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