Disney Junior series aims to give a kid's-eye view of race

LOS ANGELES (AP) - 'œRise Up, Sing Out,'ť an animated shorts series presenting the concepts of race, racism and social justice to young viewers, is coming to Disney Junior.

Designed for children ages 2 to 7 and their families, the series will include music by Ahmir 'œQuestlove'ť Thompson and Tariq 'œBlack Thought'ť Trotter of The Roots, who are executive producers with Latoya Raveneau.

'œWe hope these shorts will encourage the young audience to recognize and celebrate our differences as human beings while learning the tools to navigate real-world issues of racial injustice,'ť Thompson and Trotter said in a joint statement Tuesday.

They said their hope is to 'œempower and uplift the future generations in the way we know best, through music.'ť

'œRise Up, Sing Out,'ť produced in collaboration with Oscar-winning studio Lion Forge Animation ('œHair Love'ť), will debut this year on Disney Junior platforms including the channel and app. A date wasn't announced.

Disney Junior recognizes that children are 'œexperiencing a multitude of feelings around what's happening in our world today'ť and that families are struggling to discuss 'œsensitive issues around race,'ť said Joe D'Ambrosia, its general manager and a senior vice president.

The shorts are intended to give families "the tools and knowledge to address these important topics with their preschoolers in an age-appropriate manner through music and relatable kid experiences,'ť he said in a statement.

A viewing guide for parents is being developed for parents by The Conscious Kid, described on its website as an organization 'œdedicated to equity and promoting healthy racial identity development in youth.'ť