When Sesame Street began in 1969, not only did Robinson play Gordon, but he also provided the voice of the puppet Roosevelt Franklin and was one of the show's producers.

He wrote and produced the films Save the Children and Amazing Grace in the early 1970s, and authored scripts for Sanford and Son and Eight Is Enough.

[1][2] 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.

Dolores Robinson commented on his backseat role on the set: "He was by nature shy, and he knew that they were having a difficult time casting Gordon.

Roosevelt Franklin promoted ideals such as family, pride, respect, and geography while also showing a passion for rhyming and blues music.

Dolores Robinson has stated that Roosevelt Franklin became a televised vehicle for her then-husband's anger with racism and pride in black people.

Robinson would continue his work as a producer and writer in the 1974 film Amazing Grace, which was about a group of neighbors seeking to overthrow some shady, money-hungry politicians.

[10] After leaving Sesame Street, Robinson returned to Philadelphia and to WCAU-TV, where he starred on The Candy Apple News Company, a locally produced children's show where a small human cast interacted with puppets in a radio and newspaper office.

Written by Robinson and directed by Bill Lathan, The Confessions of Stepin Fetchit is a one-man play that focuses on Lincoln Perry, who was a popular black comic character in 1930s films but soon came under fire by civil rights advocates.

The play was meant as a call to history as well as a discussion forum for reflection on Perry's life story as one of America's first black movie stars.

The foundation was created to reach out to all those affected by Parkinson's disease or autism and provide medical, physical and emotional support.

Located within the Center for Parkinson's Research and Movement Disorders at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, the HollyRod Foundation is able to provide low or no-cost treatment as well as various services to the underserved in greater Los Angeles.

[15] A memorial service was held on the morning of Friday, August 9, 2002, at The Writers Guild of America Theatre in Beverly Hills, California.