By: ShaCamree Gowdy 

An upcoming HBO Max documentary highlights a side of former president Barack Obama that Americans may not have had the chance to witness during his eight years in office. 

Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union is a three-part documentary series that follows the former president’s personal and political journey as the country grapples with its racial history, per an HBO press release. 

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The series begins with Obama’s childhood and takes viewers through his perspective as the son of a white mother from Kansas and an African father, his spiritual formation informed by a generation of Black leaders and his hopes for a more inclusive America, per the release. All of it comes together through his own speeches and news interviews as well as conversations with friends, colleagues and critics. 

It’s a known fact that Obama’s presidency was unique in American history as the country’s first Black president, but the “historic stride forward” also shined a light on the country’s ongoing need to address longstanding issues of race and racial justice.

“Through today’s lens, the series reflects on the Obama administration with new understanding about the personal obstacles he faced and the challenging pursuit for equality in America,” the press release reads. 

The documentary “could not have come at a better moment” and “serves as a reminder of recent history,” per a review from Variety’s Daniel D’Addario. 

The circumstances leading up to the publishing of Obama’s first memoir, “Dreams From My Father,” are revealed and is when the documentary is “at its best,” per D’Addario. Combining that with preconceived thoughts based on media coverage of the young Harvard Law School graduate, and viewers form the impression early on that there is something special about Obama. 

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There’s, of course, a lot happening in between, but D’Addario notes that the film ends with an implied contrast is formed with Obama’s successor Donald Trump. Trump’s administration, he believes, is awful for the country because of the things he did as well as the things he didn’t do. 

Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union premieres on HBO Max Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.