Some years ago, I *swear* I read something about the early days of
Children's Television Workshop, the group that produces Sesame Street.
Sesame Street has always been good about using a diverse group of
human performers, with a particular emphasis on Hispanics and, more
specifically, Puerto Ricans.

Anyway, I swear I read something about how some of the early
developers of Sesame Street were Puerto Rican nationalists, some on
the radical end of the spectrum, who had been fighting for P.R.
independence in the 1960s. When that didn't work out, some of them
channeled their energies into promoting Puerto Rican (and more broadly
Chicano) pride via Sesame Street.

I've Googled my heart out can'd find anything about this. I don't know
how much of my memory is correct. I'd love to know what role, exactly,
Hispanic and/or Puerto Rican activists had in the founding and early
years of the show, and what their political/activist backgrounds were.
Many thanks!

I Googled my little heart out, too, and this is all I found...

Bernardo Palombo has been involved in Puerto Rican activism and also
in Sesame Street:

"With the help of Pete Seeger I began performing in antiwar movement
with many other artists. Suni Paz, Jose Valdez and I created El Grupo,
and we performed in the USA and in Puerto Rico in concerts and
demonstrations in favor of Puerto Rican Independence."

http://www.list-prog.org/bernardo.htm

"Bernardo Palombo is the Artistic Director and founder of El Taller
Latino ... contributor of Spanish-language songs to the PBS children's
TV show "Sesame Street."

www.saluminternational.com/eltaller.htm

The chief creator of Sesame Street was Joan Ganz Cooney. A native of
Arizona, Cooney was a producer of TV documentaries before starting the
Children's Television Workship at the behest of the Carnegie Corp.
Nothing in her background implies any connection with Puerto Rican
nationalism. Cooney is still around and presumably could answer any
questions about the program's origins for you.
(http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cooneyjoan/cooneyjoan.htm)

Carnegie's pointman for CTW was Lloyd Morrisett, who doesn't have
anything relevant to Puerto Rico in his background, either
(http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct03/street.html).

Another crucial person in CTW was, of course, Jim Henson of the
Muppets. I've read "Jim Henson: The Works," a biography of Henson, and
there was nothing in it about Puerto Rico.

I'm sure you're aware of the "Maria" character on the show, Sonia
Manzano. She was born in New York to a Puerto Rican family. Her
website (www.soniamanzano.com) mentions nothing about political
activism. Anyway, she didn't join the show until 1973.