Nantucket Project Opening Night Lineup To Showcase Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lawrence, Ken Burns

The speaker lineup at The Nantucket Project is typically a closely guarded secret, right up until the day of the event.

The Current has learned some big names will headline TNP's opening night on Thursday, October 5: First Lady Michelle Obama, actress Jennifer Lawrence and legendary filmmaker Ken Burns.

Obama, one of the most sought-after speakers in the country, is expected to address the difficult topic of finding common ground in a deeply divided America today - a topic that will be a major focus of TNP's four-day gathering, produced in partnership with the nonpartisan Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.

Lawrence, who is best known for starring in action film franchises and critically acclaimed independent dramas, is also no stranger to this topic. For the past eight years she has worked closely with RepresentUs, an anti-corruption movement designed to help fix our broken political system.

As for Burns, "I see him as the leading chronicler of the story of America," said Tom Scott, who co-founded The Nantucket Project in 2011 with Kate Brosnan. "When we look at all the toxic division around us, it's easy to feel like we've lost that narrative today. So who better than Ken Burns to point us in the other direction?"

Stay tuned to the Current over the next two weeks for more speaker announcements from The Nantucket Project.