Culture

PBS American Portrait

PBS American Portrait invites America to participate in a national conversation about what it really means to be an American today. To answer this question, PBS and its partners collected thousands of photos, videos and text submissions from across America to capture the state and spirit of our nation.

"I Rise"

54m 51s

In the fourth episode of PBS American Portrait, go inside the lives of people working to create an antiracist American future. They film themselves doing the hard work, confronting the obstacles and achieving the small victories that could add up to real change in the movement for racial justice.

Episodes

  • "I Rise": asset-mezzanine-16x9

    "I Rise"

    S1 E4 - 54m 51s

    In the fourth episode of PBS American Portrait, go inside the lives of people working to create an antiracist American future. They film themselves doing the hard work, confronting the obstacles and achieving the small victories that could add up to real change in the movement for racial justice.

  • "I Keep": asset-mezzanine-16x9

    "I Keep"

    S1 E3 - 54m 52s

    In the third episode of PBS American Portrait, people film themselves as they try to preserve or change traditions in their lives and communities. From struggles to protect culture to eliminating toxic legacies, it’s an intimate look at the practices we’ve inherited and the ones we’ll pass on.

  • "I Work": asset-mezzanine-16x9

    "I Work"

    S1 E2 - 54m 50s

    In the second episode of PBS American Portrait, everyday people share self-shot stories about their jobs and careers as they navigate the changes they’re experiencing and the goals they’re working towards. From teachers to truck drivers, they explore what it really means to work in America today.

  • "I Dream": asset-mezzanine-16x9

    "I Dream"

    S1 E1 - 54m 49s

    In the first episode of PBS American Portrait, self-shot stories explore the meaning and state of the American dream. From the desire for homeownership to ambitions for higher ed or career success, they show the hard work, opportunities and barriers that come with pursuing this ideal today.

Extras + Features

  • Ending Police Brutality In Utah: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Ending Police Brutality In Utah

    S1 E4 - 4m 39s

    Lex, founder of BLM Utah, is more determined than ever to convince state legislators to endorse her Police Reform Platform, or else police brutality will continue to go unpunished in Utah.

  • A Housing Rights Activist Shares Her Story: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Housing Rights Activist Shares Her Story

    S1 E4 - 8m 27s

    Jennifer S. knows what it's like to live without a safe place to call home. She's dedicated herself to helping people without homes and is advocating for the city of Philadelphia to fill their vacant public housing units.

  • An Activist Shares Their Journey: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    An Activist Shares Her Journey

    S1 E4 - 3m 3s

    Grits, an activist who had struggled with their identity, shares their story of how they decided to get involved with racial justice efforts.

  • A Playwright Hopes To Start A Dialogue About Race: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Playwright Hopes To Start A Dialogue About Race

    S1 E4 - 4m 2s

    Christine H.'s play, starring an all Asian and Black cast, is designed to raise awareness and create dialogue, but the one person she wants it to influence the most is her mother.

  • Episode 4 Preview: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Episode 4 Preview

    S1 E4 - 30s

    In the fourth episode of PBS American Portrait, go inside the lives of people working to create an antiracist American future. They film themselves doing the hard work, confronting the obstacles and achieving the small victories that could add up to real change in the movement for racial justice.

  • Making Schools Safe For All Students: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Making Schools Safe For All Students

    S1 E4 - 9m 44s

    Ellen has dedicated herself to fighting to eliminate corporal punishment from schools and change how schools discipline students.

  • Remix: For My People: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Remix: For My People

    S1 E4 - 6m 58s

    A crowdsourced poem inspired by Margaret Walker Alexander’s classic “For My People,” curated by 19th U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey and read alongside fellow members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Schedule

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