Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are creating a new animation series for Netflix designed to “reframe” how children think about government and civic engagement, featuring songs performed by artists including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Andra Day and poet Amanda Gorman, Breitbart reports.
Premiering on the Fourth of July, the 10-episode series, We the People will feature a series of animated music videos that will enlighten “a new generation of young Americans about the power of the people,” the streaming network wrote in a press release.
In the press release, Netflix described the show as “an exuberant call to action for everyone to rethink civics as a living, breathing thing and to reframe their understanding of what government and citizenship mean in a modern world.”
The episodes will cover a range of subjects including citizenship, voting, taxes, and activism.
The trailer features scenes of young people protesting in the streets and concludes with an image of a raised fist, according to a Breitbart report.
Barack Obama promoted the project on Twitter, writing: “Some of our favorite artists got together with amazing animators to remix civics — and the result is a lot better than what we had in school.”
Michelle and I are excited to share our latest show from Higher Ground: We The People. Some of our favorite artists got together with amazing animators to remix civics—and the result is a lot better than what we had in school. Check it out on @Netflix this July 4. pic.twitter.com/PlsSyq5pgk
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 2, 2021
Other pop stars involved in the series include H.E.R., Bebe Rexha, and Oscar nominee Andra Day.
In 2018, the Obama couple signed a deal with Netflix to produce documentaries and features through their company, Higher Ground Productions. “American Factory,” the first documentary they produced about a Chinese billionaire’s takeover of an Ohio factory earned a best documentary nomination at the Academy Awards in 2020. Then later they produced a chronicle of the former first lady on her recent book tour for her memoirs, titled Becoming.
According to Breitbart, they are also producing a scripted comedy series based on Michael Lewis’ anti-Trump book The Fifth Risk.