Questlove and Black Thought have partnered with Disney to launch a new animated series with “inspiring, empowering and optimistic messages about culture and celebrating differences,” Variety reports.
According to the outlet, the eight-episode “Rise Up, Sing Out” will become available on Disney Plus starting Wednesday (Feb. 2) and music from the series will be released on Friday (Feb. 4).
Questlove and Black Thought not only executive produce the series, but also produced its music and are depicted on the show as animated characters. According to Disney, the series will focus on themes such as diversity, inclusiveness, being kind to others and self-expression.
“The ‘Rise Up, Sing Out’ shorts touch on a lot of real-world issues, especially for young Black kids, that just weren’t talked about when we were growing up,” Questlove and Black Thought said in a joint statement. “The beautiful thing about these shorts is that not only are they going to provide young kids the proper language to talk to their friends and family about some of the things that might be bothering them, but it’s also going to give parents the tools on how to respond.”
“We feel this is the perfect moment and the perfect time for us to put this project out into the world to plant a seed about kindness that will hopefully have a lasting impact for generations to come,” The Roots artists added.
Latoya Raveneau, who directs “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” is also an executive producer of the series.
“We’re proud to introduce these entertaining and inspiring animated shorts that reinforce the fundamental values of respect and kindness, which we created in response to parents today who are increasingly asking for media content that supports young kids’ self-esteem and helps them grow up happy, empathetic and respectful of others,” Senior Vice President of original programming and Disney Junior General Manager Joe D’Ambrosia said.
“Bigotry, bias and stereotyping aren’t simple topics for anyone to tackle, but the talented creative team did a thoughtful job in delivering memorable songs and stories that reflect the opportunity storytellers have to help parents as they raise healthy, thoughtful and well-rounded kids,” he added.