WWE superstar Big E launches animated series to teach kids Black history
WWE (WWE) superstar Ettore “Big E” Ewen is a powerhouse in the squared circle, but he's got some big aspirations outside fo the ring, especially when it comes to educating kids. The intercontinental champion joined Yahoo Finance Live to discuss his Kickstarter for his new animated family series "Our Heroes Rock!" that explores Black History’s heroes through hip-hop and science fiction.
“It’s something I’m extremely excited about. I’m working with my partners, Jonathan Devonport and Andreas Hale. And what we’re doing is we’re using science fiction, we’re using animation, and we’re using hip hop to tell the story of our heroes, Black figures, whose stories aren’t told enough.”
Ewen tells Yahoo Finance that the first installment of "Our Heroes Rock!" will tell the stories of Civil Rights icons such as Ruby Bridges, who in 1960 became the first African American child to integrate an all-white public elementary school in the South.
“This Kickstarter is all about telling the story of Ruby Bridges. And I think one of the things that is difficult for people is when it feels pedantic or heavy, or you’re being beat over the head with it, you might not want to show up, but when it’s fun and engaging — and we got Rapsody, who’s a two-time Grammy nominee. She’s going to help tell the story of Ruby Bridges. So we want this to be fun and engaging. And that’s what this project is.”
Ewen says that WWE has been supportive of his mission to help tell Black history makers’ stories.
“It was one of the things that I think they understand the importance of. For me, it’s really about teaching. It’s about getting the word out. It’s about helping to educate and in a way that feels engaging. So they’ve shown a lot of support in that.”
One of the Kickstarter campaign's goal aim is to place "American Heroes" Medgar Evers, Ida B. Wells, and Nina Simone in the same historical echelon reserved for George Washington, Thomas Edison, and Neil Armstrong.
The man is known as “Big E” tells Yahoo Finance that he wants to use his enormous platform as a role model for good.
“I often think back to when we were kids, I remember Charles Barkley [saying], ‘I am not a role model.’ And I think whether you want to be or not, when you’re in that position when you have kids who watch you, it’s important to show that you have a voice that you’re going to use it and that you’re going to work to better our world. ... So who better than us to help reach out to those same kids.”
Reggie Wade is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @ReggieWade.
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