Three New Original Series Premiere on Redbox and Crackle Celebrating Black History Month

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment continues celebrating Black History Month with the premiere of three new original series. The docuseries HBCU Homecomings: The Journey to the Yard presented by American Family Insurance, The HBCU Honors Award Show, and the powerful historical documentary Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La are now available to stream for free through the Redbox and Crackle apps. The titles were produced by Hip Rock Star, an award-winning, socially-conscious media production and 360 agency, and are part of an ongoing relationship with Publicis Media’s APX Content Ventures to create quality content that elevates diverse voices and storylines.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Hip Rock Star and APX Content Ventures to bring these amazing series to our viewers,” said Phil Oppenheim, chief content officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. “I know our audience will find them inspiring and insightful.”

“The debut of these highly anticipated series parallel so harmoniously with the importance of telling and preserving Black history,” said Jessica Garrett Modkins, CEO and founder of Hip Rock Star and the docuseries’ executive producer, director, and writer. “It is our mission to be a catalyst for truth – to provide intentional documentation of our Black experience. 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.”

The new series available starting today on Redbox and Crackle include:

HBCU Homecomings: The Journey to the Yard

Through narration, interviews, archival photographs, videos, and much more, HBCU Homecomings: The Journey to the Yard showcases the exhilarating journey of homecomings at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). From packing and missed flights to cars towed and late-night parties, it is all Black joy! An authentic walk through the HBCU experience and culture, schools featured include Bethune Cookman University, Florida A&M University, Grambling State University, Hampton University, Howard University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Jackson State University.

The HBCU Honors Award Show

The inaugural HBCU Honors Award Show showcases the “Who’s Who of HBCUs,” and celebrates the best and brightest HBCU alumni across various industries. 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 the all-star night of Black Excellence. HBCU Honors salute game-changers, innovators, legends, and history-makers. The event pays tribute to HBCU alumni who have made an indelible mark on the Black community and beyond. With recent HBCU historical firsts, including the inauguration of United States Vice President Kamala Harris, these institutions of higher learning have been placed on the world’s center stage. Eight esteemed HBCU alumni were lauded during the awards ceremony who excelled at the highest levels in aerospace and aviation, business, entrepreneurship, public service, media, entertainment, and academia. Visit https://hbcuhonors.org for more information.

Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La

Based on the book, “Images of America: Miami’s Richmond Heights” by co-authors Patricia Harper Garrett and The Historical Society’s Founder and Executive Director, Jessica Garrett Modkins, Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La explores the lives of early Black World War II veterans in detail and the rationale of the white developer Captain Frank C. Martin who perpetuated social change during Jim Crow. Martin made a bold and unpopular decision in 1949 to build a self-contained community for these veterans. The documentary introduces the grandchildren of the 1949 Black World War II veteran homeowners. It explores how the tight-knit community propelled them to their chosen professions and how the legacy continues today. The documentary will also take a closer look at the socioeconomic fabric of this time, segregation, and civil rights.

Publicis Media’s APX Content Ventures is a next-generation unit within Publicis Media that seeks to find, fund, and elevate partners and properties that amplify diverse voices, empower women, and build community, connection, and trust. APX clients will have the exclusive opportunity to be featured prominently in the series via deep brand integrations, custom content, sponsorships, and other show-adjacent segments. The companies previously came together to produce the Crackle original series Inside the Black Box, which features revealing conversations, exciting performances, workshops, and discussions about race’s role in the entertainment industry.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Crackle and Redbox streaming services are currently distributed through nearly 160 touchpoints in the US on platforms including Amazon Fire TV, RokuTV, Apple TV, Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, VIZIO), gaming consoles (PS4 and Xbox One), Plex, iOS, and Android mobile devices and on desktops at Crackle.com and Redbox.com.

About Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) provides premium content to value-conscious consumers. The company is one of the largest advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) companies in the US, with three flagship AVOD streaming services: Redbox, Crackle, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. In addition, the company operates Redbox Free Live TV, a free ad-supported streaming television service (FAST), with over 160 channels as well as a transaction video on demand (TVOD) service, and a network of approximately 34,000 kiosks across the US for DVD rentals. To provide original and exclusive content to its viewers, the company creates, acquires, and distributes films and TV series through its Screen Media and Chicken Soup for the Soul TV Group subsidiaries. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous books series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.