Nickelodeon Celebrates Black History Month with 'Our Places, Our History' Campaign

This brand-new series of PSAs set in Charleston, South Carolina, explores the themes of education, culture and cuisine as they relate to African Americans, and encourages today’s generation of children to be part of the deep well of African history in the South. Each PSA is narrated by kids and uses Charleston, South Carolina’s storied past and rich culture as both a focal point and a backdrop, given how a substantial number of African Americans are able to trace their ancestry to the port of Charleston, which served as a slave-trading center more than a century ago. The multi-platform campaign will be supported across Nick’s social and digital platforms throughout the month of February.

In the first spot currently airing across Nickelodeon’s linear platforms—Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nicktoons and TeenNick—the subject is the Avery Institute, built in 1865 and one of the first schools to educate African-American students, following a time when they were legally not allowed to attend school. The second PSA explores elements of African culture that have been passed down through generations and the importance of keeping traditions alive. The third vignette in the series focuses on the African roots of soul food.

Tony Maxwell, SVP Creative Director of Nickelodeon Brand Creative, explains, “Our creative goal was to highlight a series of real-world settings that trace the historical origins of significant African American cultural traditions that resonate today. For Nickelodeon, a kids-first brand, it was important to have kids drive the narrative of our campaign. We were thrilled by the opportunity to work with Seyi, whose strong vision and deft touch as a director can be felt in every frame.”

“Having the chance to work with kids on such important and inspiring stories for Black History Month in collaboration with the Nick team was extremely rewarding,” director Seyi Peter-Thomas says. “We delved into the local history and culture and unearthed stories that felt most relevant to our audience. There was a real sense of discovery as we made these, which hopefully comes through in the films.”