If you don’t know about and love Sesame Street chances are you weren’t a PBS Kid. Either that or you were a Grouch. Sesame Street is an example of educational television proving success in improving cognitive skills, teaching respect and social skills, and promoting school readiness skills. Children who watch the show as two-year-olds gain an advantage in math, vocabulary, and other school readiness skills by the time they are five. In comes Dr. Chester Pierce. A psychologist and professor who was a national advisor for CTW and who would become the founding president of the Black Psychiatrists of America in 1969, also saw an opportunity to provide widespread, radical therapeutic treatment for Black children. Dr. Pierce earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1952. Following his medical education, he pursued an internship and residency training in psychiatry at Cincinnati General Hospital. Dr. Pierce held prominent positions, including Commander in the US Navy and senior consultant to various esteemed organizations such as the Surgeon General of the US Air Force, the Children's Television Network (Sesame Street, Electric Company), the US Arctic Research Commission, the Peace Corps, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He also is the person responsible behind the term “microaggression,” coining the term in 1970, leaving a lasting impact on the field of psychiatry and social justice. In the aftermath of strategic assassinations of black leaders The Black Psychiatrists of America, fueled by grief and a commitment to justice, strove to reshape the narrative on racism within their profession and society at large. They envisioned using mass media, particularly television, as a tool for radical therapeutic intervention. With a deep understanding of the damaging messages in mainstream media–especially detrimental to young black children–he saw an opportunity for change. This is where Sesame Street became the innovative educational tool but also as a means to counteract the racist narratives at the time. Launched in 1969, the show intentionally featured a racially diverse cast, portraying an idealized inner-city neighborhood where characters of all ethnicities lived, worked, and played innovative educational tool but also as a means to counteract the racist narratives at the time. Launched in 1969, the show intentionally featured a racially diverse cast, portraying an idealized inner-city neighborhood where characters of all ethnicities lived, worked, and played together. This was the shows “hidden curriculum,” and it aimed to bolster the self-respect of black and minority children while portraying a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural world. The show faced resistance, notably in Mississippi, where legislators initially deemed the interracial cast unfit for their audience. Despite challenges, Sesame Street has emerged as the most successful children’s show of all time, reaching hearts and minds across the nation. Dr. Chester Pierce’s radical mental health agenda has remained at the core of the show’s creation. Thank you Dr. Pierce for your contributions.