'After 45 years on Sesame Street, will no longer appear on the next season,' the tweet reads. News of Manzano's departure arrived in the form of a tweet by the American Libararies Association, after she appeared at their annual conference earlier this week. It's the end of an era for 'Sesame Street': Sonia Manzano-Maria for more than four decades-is retiring from the beloved children's program.