Turbaned Sikh Character In PBS ‘Arthur’ Wins Everyone’s Heart

We have another victory at representation. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) animated education television series for children ages 4 to 8, ‘Arthur’ is back with a new season. The cherry on the cake here is the portrayal of a turban-wearing Sikh character. He even has his own beautiful golden kara.

The joining of the new Sikh character to the team of Arthur and his friends in elementary school is getting a lot of love. People cannot stop sharing appreciative comments for the detailed portrayal. This representation has left Sikhs across the globe feeling proud and excited.”Arthur’s First Day” is a one-hour TV special that is scheduled to premiere on Labor Day, September 6th, on PBS.

So excited to see a Sikh character join Arthur and his friends in the new movie! He even has his own little kara! pic.twitter.com/eoEdwakivZ

— Sharan Aulakh (@_sharanaulakh) August 22, 2021

Made by Kathy Waugh for PBS and produced by WGBH, the show is set in the fictional American city of Elwood and revolves around the lives of 8-year-old Arthur, and his friends and family, and their daily interactions with each other.

In case you haven’t watched the trailer, take a look:

Recently we saw another Sikh character being portrayed in a Disney Pixar movie. The movie titled “Turning Red” includes an animated Sikh character wearing a kara and a turban.

“Arthur is the longest-running kids animated series in history and is known for teaching kindness, empathy, and inclusion through many groundbreaking moments to generations of viewers,” said the show’s executive producer, Carol Greenwald, in a statement.

Arthur follows its titular character, an eight-year-old aardvark, as he navigated life among family, friends, and school. The show has a knack for featuring characters from different cultures, classes, and family backgrounds. At times it has been boundary-pushing — an episode of the show’s spin-off, Postcards from Buster, received criticism from then-Education Secretary Margaret Spelling for a 2005 episode that featured lesbian parents, and Alabama Public Television refused to air a 2019 episode that showed a same-sex wedding.