Plot Synopsis

PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT is a national storytelling initiative that seeks to define what it means to be an American today. People across the nation are invited to submit their unique stories by responding to a series of prompts. For each prompt, a user can respond by submitting a video, a photograph, a drawing/illustration or text. The initiative also includes stories from PBS Digital Studios that stream as a companion miniseries, a documentary series inspired by user submissions, live event experiences, and educational materials for classrooms across the country.

The first special, "In This Together," debuted Friday, May 8, 2020 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings). This half-hour special spotlights the many personal stories, photographs and videos shared by thousands of people in response to the prompt "I never expected...," and viewers hear first-hand accounts of how this global pandemic has affected America. Participants from across the country use self-shot video, photos and text to share how the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting their lives, their communities and their understanding of what it means to live in our country at this unique moment in time.

"Family of Us," the second AMERICAN PORTRAIT special, debuts Sunday, August 2, 2020 at 10:30pm on PBS (check local listings) and is available to stream early at 6pm ET on the Series Overview page (https://www.pbs.org/american-portrait/series), the PBS Video app, on the official PBS Facebook page, and on the PBS YouTube channel. For this special, contributors responded to the prompt, "Family looks like..." Families of all shapes and sizes give viewers a look into their lives, revealing how America values families now more than ever. First is Lumiere R., a recent film school graduate, who moved to Griffin, Georgia to help care for their grandparents and document their stories, as their grandfather's dementia threatens to erase much of the family's collective memory. Second is Amelia G., whose father was released from prison in February after serving 10 years for a crime he did not commit. After months of delays due to the pandemic, Amelia is finally able to fly from New York City to San Francisco for the long-awaited reunion with her father.

Nearly three months later -- on Monday, October 26, 2020 at 9:30pm (check local listings) -- PBS debuted "Generation Nation," the third AMERICAN PORTRAIT special. This installment explores how people in different age groups, from adolescents to seniors, see themselves and their place in America. It reveals the common experiences that bind people together within and across age groups and the generational differences that can put us at odds with one another. For this special, people across the country shared their personal stories to this prompt: "At this point in my life..."
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PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT began as a four-part documentary series on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings). Each of the four new hour-long programs blends stories filmed by everyday people to create a chorus of voices sharing both common and unique experiences from across the country. Each episode in the series focuses on a main theme - "I Dream," about our varied pursuits of the American Dream; "I Work," about the aspirations, struggles and satisfactions in our careers; "I Keep," about the traditions and values we hold; and "I Rise," about working to create an antiracist America. These experiences yield complex and diverse stories of what brings us together and what keeps us apart as we strive to understand one another. The episode descriptions are as follows:

"I Dream" (Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 9pm): Self-shot stories explore the meaning and state of the American dream. From the desire for homeownership to ambitions for higher education or career success, they show the hard work, opportunities and barriers that come with pursuing this ideal today. The main stories featured are Mahsa A. from Fairfax, Virginia; Tyler M. & Bre R. from Joliet, Illinois; and Gunnar J. from Unalakleet, Alaska.

"I Work" (Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 9pm): 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 toward. From teachers to truck drivers, they explore what it really means to work in America today. The main stories featured are D'Artanian D. & Jonathan E. from New Orleans; Jessica M. from Chula Vista, California; and Laura H. from Stillwell, Oklahoma.

"I Keep" (Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 9pm): People film themselves as they try to preserve or change traditions in their lives and communities. From struggling 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. The main stories featured are Emma H. from Seattle; Yolanda B. from Dallas; and Dwight S. from St. Helena Island, South Carolina.

"I Rise" (Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 9pm): 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. The main stories featured are Christine H. from Austin, Texas; Anisa O. from Mankato, Minnesota; and Lex S. from Sandy, Utah.