Nationwide — Baltimore-based company, EdAnime Productions, is back again with the second installment of its award winning animated series created for children. Meltrek: Exploring the Pre-Columbian Americas was released on May 6, 2017 and educates viewers about the aboriginal cultures and African presence in the Americas prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus. This spellbinding series inundates children with positive images and information about the history, culture and contributions of people of African descent from 3000 BCE to 2008. Meltrek seeks to:

* Clear up historical misconceptions: For centuries the world has been taught the myths of traditional Eurocentric teachings as it relates to people of color.

* Preserve African American history: Major publishing companies are altering African American history in textbooks by omitting and distorting facts.

* Transform the self-perception and worldview of African American children: Studies have shown that the self-perception of African American children has been drastically affected by a Eurocentric education.

* To project positive images of African Americans into the national consciousness: For centuries the media has propagated racial caricatures of African Americans from bug eyed minstrels, watermelon eating pickneys, sly mammies and sambos to current images seen in rap music videos, reality television shows and nightly news reports.

Meltrek episode 2, Exploring the Pre-Columbian Americas, evaluates historical information that substantiates the African presence in the Americas prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus. This knowledge eradicates the fallacy that Africans only arrived to the Americas by way of the Transatlantic slave trade. This episodes explores the great indigenous civilizations of the Americas prior to the arrival of Europeans to the region. The characteristics and contributions of these civilizations such as those of Mesoamerica are thoroughly examined and explained to the viewers.

Similar to Meltrek episode one, Exploring Ancient Africa, patrons will travel back in time with Mrs. Loften, Bunchie, Chen, Jessie, and Michelle to explore the culture of the aboriginal people in the North and South American continents. This episode also introduces a new character, Winona, a tour guide who helps the characters ascertain pertinent information about this era not taught in traditional educational institutions. Signature to the Meltrek series, each episode is infused with a hip hop soundtrack to keep its audience captivated and interested in the information being disseminated.

Viewers will learn the following:

• The scientific theory that explains the migration of the first Americans

• The culture and achievements of the aboriginal people of the Americas

• The geography of North, South and Central America

• African explorers who journeyed to the Americas prior to the transatlantic slave trade

• The nuances of African shipbuilding

The Meltrek series was officially launched in October 2014. It has since sold in forty states in the United States and ten countries around the world. The Meltrek DVDs are available for purchase at www.edanimeproductions.com. The films are also available for digital download at Amazon. Meltrek storybooks, coloring books, and posters are available on the EdAnime Productions website as well as unit plans for educators.