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Outlook: Sacrificing my sexuality to be a black role model

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CROPClemmons with King Friday and Queen Sara_Photo Credit_The Fred Rogers Company.jpg

13/05/2020 GMT

Sacrificing my sexuality to be a black role model

BBC World Service - Outlook, Sacrificing my sexuality to be a black role model

Becoming one of the first African American actors on children's TV came with an ultimatum

When Francois Clemmons was a TV star in the 1960s, he made the difficult decision to sacrifice his sexuality so that he could continue as a role model for African-American kids.

Francois Clemmons is a singer and founder of the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble in America, but he became famous as an actor when he played the role of Officer Clemmons in the hit children’s TV programme 'Mister Rogers Neighborhood'. He joined the show in 1968, and was an important role model for young African-American children, but he then had to make a difficult decision. As a gay man he was told that his sexuality was not compatible with his TV role, so he had to choose between his sexuality and his TV career. Although he chose the latter, he was able to be open about his sexuality years later. He tells Jo Fidgen how much the show meant to him over the years and how forming his spiritual ensemble was a dream come true for him.

He's written a book called Officer Clemmons: A Memoir. 

Picture:  Francois Clemmons with King Friday and Queen Sara 
Credit: The Fred Rogers Company

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