Chicken Soup for the Soul’s streaming apps Redbox and Crackle are marking Black History Month with three original series that have been created as part of a relationship with Publicis Media’s APX Content Ventures.
One series, Homecoming: The Journey to the Year, is presented by American Family Insurance. The show uses narration, interviews and archival photos and video to tell homecoming stories from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The other series are The HBCU Honors Awards Show and Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La.
All three are produced by Hip Rock Star.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Hip Rock Star and APX Content Ventures to bring these amazing series to our viewers,” Chicken Soup for the Soul chief content officer Phil Oppenheim said. “I know our audience will find them inspiring and insightful.”
The inaugural HBCU Honors Award Show showcases the brightest HBCU alumni. The event was held at the Black Archives-Historic Lyric Theater in Miami, Florida. Emmy award-winning actress and producer Wendy Raquel Robinson, a Howard University alumna, hosted.
Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La is based on the book Images of America: Miami’s Richmond Heights by authors Patricia Harper Garrett and Jessica Garrett Modkins. The documentary follows the lives of Black World War II veterans who lived in a self-contained community. The documentary will also take a closer look at the socioeconomic fabric of this time, segregation and civil rights.
“The debut of these highly anticipated series parallel so harmoniously with the importance of telling and preserving Black history,” Jessica Garrett Modkins, CEO and founder of Hip Rock Star and the docuseries’ executive producer, director, and writer, said.
“It is our mission to be a catalyst for truth — to provide intentional documentation of our Black experience,” Modkins said. “APX’s support of Black content curators is unprecedented and provides an opportunity for filmmakers to continue to validate the life experiences of Black people. Telling these stories and honoring the amazing individuals in our projects is essential to preserving our history. I am honored that we can give viewers distinctive, meaningful, and comprehensive content and entertainment that elevates our unique experiences, voices, and timeless stories surrounding the Black community.” ■
