Beyond ‘Sesame Street’: African kids’ shows go local

As a child in London in the 1980s, Agnes Soyode-Johnson spent her weekend mornings with her siblings, watching cartoons like “Scooby Doo,” “Dennis the Menace,” and “Inspector Gadget.” 

The child of Nigerian immigrants, she rarely stopped to think about why so few of the characters looked like her. Then, in 1992, she saw a movie that changed everything. As Aladdin and Jasmine rode their magic carpet over an Arabian desert kingdom singing about a new world, Ms. Soyode-Johnson marveled at their dark hair and brown skin. 

“I loved it so much because I could relate,” says Ms. Soyode-Johnson. “I felt seen.”