The Obamas' Higher Ground brings Black Girl Power to the Screen

  In 2021 we can look forward to starting a new year with Black Girl Power

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground, is adapting Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and illustrator David Roberts into an animated Netflix series. Created by Chris Nee, known for the hit children’s television series Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, Little Bill, and others, the show will center on Ada Twist, an 8-year old who happens to be an extremely brilliant, young, Black scientist. There will be themes of friendship, scientific discovery and teamwork. Netflix has ordered 40, 12-minute episodes.

Not only will the show feature a brown-skinned little girl, the animated series will also have Kerri Grant, who has worked as a screenwriter for shows such as Mira, the Royal Detective and Nella the Princess Knight as the showrunner for Ada Twist, Scientist. 

In addition to science-based themes, the series will also feature real scientists. In a recent statement to Deadline, Nee stated, “As a fan of the books, I was taken with the diverse characters, striking designs and vital message that science matters. Plus, Ada fulfills my personal need to populate children’s television with strong girls who aren’t afraid to be the smartest kids in the room. Once Kerri Grant came on board to showrun, I knew we had the dream team to bring this special series to life.” 

Grant is thrilled to be a part of this project as she explained to Deadline, “As a young, curious Black girl who grew up loving TV, I simply became accustomed to rarely seeing images that reflected me onscreen — and the ones that did, represented an anti-intellectual stereotype that led me to hide my own light under a bushel. “To be a part of bringing a show to kids that features a young, Black girl being unapologetically the smartest kid in the room, in a world as diverse and visually stunning as the one created by the book series’ author and illustrator, fills my heart to capacity. Working with Chris Nee, my old boss, and certified preschool TV hit-maker; and Higher Ground and their commitment to representation, dreaming big, and excellence, has been the alignment of so many stars, it’s truly a celestial event.

We can look forward to seeing Ada Twist, Scientist on the screen in 2021.