LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Within the last year, Sesame Street made headlines as the show tackled topics like race and equality. What many don't know, according to a report by LEX 18, is that a Berea College graduate is behind one of the characters on the children's show.
Chris Thomas Hayes stumbled upon puppetry while a student at Berea College. After graduation and a lot of hard work, Hayes earned a role as a puppeteer on Sesame Street.
"I started doing right hands for the puppets that have two live hands, like Ernie, The Count, and I would do assisting if there were any kind of weird hand-offs, and I would do background characters," Hayes said.
Now, Hayes is the puppeteer for Elijah, the father of Elmo's friend Wes.
Elijah is best known on the show as helping Wes and Elmo explore colors of their skin and explaining the concept of melanin.
"I'm just so excited to be a part of this legacy and I want to jump in and help as much as I can," Hayes said. "Because I feel like, I've got skin in the game too. I've got kids, nephews and nieces and I want to make sure that they are set up for success in the future; educationally, socially, everything."
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