Disney Branded Television is launching new original interstitials and a short-form series to highlight successful Black Americans for Black History Month.
Airing on Disney Channel, Junior and XD, the interstitials will see LeBron James, Kamala Harris, teen chess champion Jessica Hyatt and 14-year-old painter Tyler Gordon (pictured) share their stories.
Aimed at kids ages two to seven, the series launches today with the story of Harris’s rise from childhood activist to become the first Black American and first person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president of the US. This lead interstitial will feature motion graphics and paintings from Gordon to illustrate Harris’s journey.
Disney is also premiering new episodes of its short-form series In The Nook, which features Disney Channel actors interviewing Gordon and Hyatt. The shorts are aimed at six to 14s and will roll out February 8 on Disney Channel and Disney XD. Additional shorts about LeBron James and ballerina Misty Copeland will air later in the year.
Disney Channel has commemorated Black History Month since at least 1998, and in 2000 began releasing scripted programming themed for the month, according to a Disney Channel spokesperson. It also launched interstitials for Black History Month in 2017 to give kids ages two to 14 a deeper understanding about important people in African American history.