Former president Barack Obama and, who we like to call our forever first lady, Michelle Obama have taken their Oval Office expertise to a whole new arena. On Wednesday, the power pair announced that they have produced Netflix‘s latest We The People, a 10-episode animation series remixing civics curricula into three-minute music videos that are poised to enlighten children on the “power of the people.”
According to Entertainment Weekly, the show is billed 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.” Slated to release on the 4th of July, the series is a mélange of lively animations, earworm tunes and of course, lessons that will empower the newest generation of changemakers. The show’s narrative soundtrack enlisted the help of some of the industry’s hottest talent including the likes of Adam Lambert, Cordae, Frozen‘s Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Hamilton‘s Daveed Diggs, Brittany Howard, Hamilton starrer Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brandi Carlile, KYLE, Bebe Rexha, Andra Day, Janelle Monáe, and poet Amanda Gorman to perform original songs and compositions. This star-studded roster is a step up from the popularized seventies song “I’m Just A Bill,” from the animated educational series Schoolhouse Rock!, that similarly taught civics to nation’s youth (if you know, you know!).
The show is created by Doc McStuffins writer Chris Nee, who will executive produce alongside the Obamas, their Higher Ground Productions company, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, The Greatest Showman’s Tonia Davis, and Priya Swaminathan. Most recently, under the Obamas’ production company’s multi-year deal with Netflix, Michelle launched her preschool series Waffles + Mochi. As she stars alongside the titular puppets, the show seeks to teach its young viewers the importance of incorporating wellness in their diets.
