Parents Of Toddlers In Viral Hugging Video Speak Out

June 14, 2020

The parents of the two young boys running to each other for a hug are hoping the viral video will inspire "love and change".

Last September, Michael Cisneros posted a video of his son Maxwell running to his best friend Finnegan on a New York City street.

Maxwell, who will turn 3 in July, is black, and Finnegan, 3, is white.

"We didn't really expect any of this. It was just our boys being our boys," Maxwell's dad, Michael Cisneros, told TODAY. "We just thought it was a great moment. We shared with family and friends. Our friends said it's beautiful you could make it go viral. I put it on my Facebook and kept blowing up."

He continued: "I didn't see it at the time, but I see it now. It was a beacon of hope. It shows love and what the future could be like if children were raised in a different way ... It's going to be kind of iconic. I've gotten messages from people all around the world."

The boys' parents have also created an Instagram account for the best friends.

"As Finnegan's and Maxwell's parents, we feel that there is too much at stake to not use this platform to inspire love and change. You can follow @wellegan on Instagram, where we will share their adventures together as well as resources that can help us all to fight racism," Finnegan's mom, Erica Russo McKenna said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Looking to better days.

A post shared by MaxWELL + FinnEGAN (@wellegan) on

"I'm super proud the video has brought so much happiness and hope," Cisnernos said. "Children do see color, but it doesn't matter to them."