The Original Gordon & The Voice Behind The First Black Sesame Street Character
Matthew Thomas Robinson Jr. (January 1, 1937 – August 5, 2002) was an American actor, writer and television producer. Robinson was the first actor to portray the character of Gordon Robinson on the PBS children’s TV program Sesame Street. He also provided the voice of the puppet Roosevelt Franklin, the first muppet influenced by aspects of African-American culture and known by many as the first Black Sesame Street character. In later years, when producers needed a last name for the Gordon character, then played by Hal Miller and later Roscoe Orman, they used Matt’s last name.
Matthew Thomas Robinson Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Matthew Robinson Sr., worked as a postal worker and one of the first African American columnists for The Philadelphia Independent newspaper, while his mother, Marie (née Henson) Robinson, worked as an elementary-school teacher.
Robinson attended West Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before going on to Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, and graduating in 1958 with a degree from the College of the Liberal Arts and Sciences. While at Penn State, Robinson was elected president of the Penn State Omega Psi Phi fraternity, one of the first African-American fraternities founded at a prominently African-American college or university—Howard University in Washington, D.C.
In 1962, Robinson wrote a slave revolt drama titled Rained All Night. He began his media career in 1963 as a writer, and soon after producer and on-air talent, at television station WCAU-TV in his hometown of Philadelphia. Robinson produced and hosted Opportunity in Philadelphia, a weekly televised employment service oriented toward African Americans. By televising job opportunities, Opportunity in Philadelphia sought to allay the apprehension many minorities felt when looking for work. Robinson established his talent at WCAU, ultimately leading to future successes as a producer and actor.
When Sesame Street began in 1969, not only did Robinson play Gordon, but he also provided the voice of the puppet Roosevelt Franklin, the first muppet influenced by aspects of African-American culture and known by many as the first Black Sesame Street character.
Through the years, various actors played Sesame Street’s “Gordon,” but the first one to assume the role was Matt Robinson (father of Holly Robinson-Peete). He played the character until 1972. He was also one of the show’s producers.
Roosevelt Franklin had initially been considered one of the show’s main characters. As such, he had been present and accounted for on store shelves, right alongside the Cookie Monster and Ernie and Bert. In fact, his 1971 record album, the wonderfully named The Year of Roosevelt Franklin, was the first Sesame Street LP devoted entirely to a single character.
Franklin taught kids numbers and letters, of course, but also to stay away from poison, to keep out of the street, and to have pride in themselves, no matter what.
In one skit, Roosevelt Franklin breaks the stereotypes about Africa by teaching students at the Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School that Africa is more than just a jungle and what they see on the show Tarzan.
Despite his popularity on the show, Franklin was eventually run off Sesame Street after complaints surfaced that he was a negative African-American stereotype, both because of his slang language and because his school was uncharacteristically rowdy for the program.
Matt Robinson also wrote the series’ first themed storybook, Gordon of Sesame Street’s Storybook.
Expanding into other realms of television, Robinson wrote and produced for such iconic shows as The Cosby Show, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, The Waltons, Eight is Enough, and Captain Kangaroo. Not one to limit himself to the small screen, he also wrote and produced the 1974 film, Amazing Grace.
Robinson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1982 at the age of 45 and battled the disease for 20 years. In 1997, during her father’s struggle with the disease, daughter Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, started the HollyRod Foundation. The foundation was created to reach out to all those affected by Parkinson’s disease or autism and provide medical, physical and emotional support. Unfortunately, his son Matt also developed Parkinson’s.
Robinson died in his sleep at his Los Angeles home on Monday, August 5, 2002, at the age of 65.
➡️ AWARDS & HONORS
◾Daytime Emmy Awards – 1983, nominated (along with Bob Brush, Harry Crossfield, Martin Donoff, and Howard Friedlander) for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children’s Programming-Writing for Captain Kangaroo
◾Distinguished Alumnus Award from Penn State University (1994)
◾42nd NAACP Image Awards
