PBS American Portrait. A National Storytelling Project
FEATURED COLLECTION
“Thanksgiving looks a little different…”
Hear stories of gratitude, traditions, and how people across America are celebrating Thanksgiving a little differently this year.
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Many Thanksgiving tables will look different in 2020 — some families will have an empty seat, some will not gather to keep each other safe, but, as these stories show us, Americans are still finding ways to come together, share a meal, and celebrate what they’re grateful for.
- I took a risk when I agreed to go to a Thanksgiving dinner at a stranger's home. I'd spent two hours talking with a guy in a spa at a hotel. He asked what I was doing for Thanksgiving and I said I was staying home...
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- For my people You are standing tall; things are not yet up on the wall; things are picking up the pace they are not at a crawl; we will beat Trump, for one and all, wear what you want. You don't have to stall; the same...
- For my people blasting jazz and rock and hip hop and classical and soul and funk, using the rhythms to shake the demons of times past to revel in the joy of the present and blessings of the future
- For my people, your voices will be heard.
- For my people I give this warning: Stop believing that just because you are Humans that you are God. Stop reproducing so much as you are crowding out all other life, plant and animal, in the world. Make major efforts to relocate to Mars and Luna...
- What do you have to say for your people?Share a Story
- For my people who don't fit in, always looking for a place where we belong. For the queers and the weirdos, the femmes and the failures, the deviants and the lovers, the artists and the activators: dreaming organizing playing searching cuddling waiting teasing loving and choosing...
- For my people , look into the mirror of our ancestral past. What do they see that we don't see in the glass? Each hue, each tone and beautiful complexion that's all our own. Rejected and not accepted yet this too, is the land we call...
- For my people I seek the true good. I strive to give joyfully, with kindness and humility, toward the goal of peace and freedom, by helping others find safety and comfort in God.
- For my people I grew up in northern Indiana on a small farm -- 16 acres--raising chickens, milk cows, and hogs. My father had an old John Deer tractor (John Deer Green), a manure spreader, a single blade plow, and other kinds of equipment that could...
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- What do you stand for?Share a Story
- I stand for the American People ad our form of Governance. I believe our Nation needs to remain strong and honest in it's treatment of its citizens and others who live in our hemisphere and other parts of the World. We need to respect each others...
- I stand for all the alt people out there. This is about to sound cringy af but it needs to be told again. I am a 16 year old emo (and slightly punk). Walking out in public I receive the stares of many people. It doesn't...
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- Looking ahead, I worry about the survival of Democracy in America. The checks and balances in our Constitution seem vulnerable in light of the present government (2020). The values of integrity, truthfulness, wisdom, simplicity, and compassion have become less visible in this frantic time. Where is...
- Looking ahead, I hope for a green new deal so America can participate in saving our environment for future generations.
- What do you see ahead of you?Share a Story
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- To me, work means -is- the purpose of one's life, the reason for being. My entire time on this planet has been a preparation for the work I do. For me, that work is doing, seeing development in others, myself, my community. I come from a...
- What does work mean to you?Share a Story
- To me, work means ... Dance as though SOMEONE is watching! A step on hold, but only for so long; as I dance to my own music or the students on camera. LIVE or virtual, I dance my way through difficult times: pandemic (!) or grief...
- To me, work means being true to myself. Jumping in, Eyes wide open. And sometimes in the dark. But my joy is to be able to go in to that emotional spot. that place that crosses the lines of love and hate of brown and black...
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- My American dream I came to America in the 60s via Greece when I was a newlywed and in my 20s. I didn't know the language and was alone here with just my husband and his family.There were plenty of tough days, where food was scarce...
- What’s your American dream?Share a Story
- My American dream to work hard, get an education and do great things for yourself, for your kids.
- My American dream "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." These words were first spoken by Reverend Martin...
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FEATURED COLLECTION
“We were the First People on this continent…”
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month, recognizing the diverse traditions of Indigenous Americans.
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November is Native American Heritage month, celebrating the culture, heritage, and histories of the original inhabitants of the United States. Hailing from vastly diverse backgrounds, Indigenous Americans have been resilient in the face of centuries of colonization. Learn about the ways that Indigenous Americans are preserving their traditions through art, music, dance, food, and more, and are paving the way for the next generation.
- .My American story started when born to H.S. sweethearts from a small reservation town. Their trailer was next to Grandma's house. I flourished in grandma's love & cultural teachings. Her loving nurturing ways would be my saving grace, in times of darkness & light. Reflection of the past encourages...
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- How does your age shape your perspective?Share a Story
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- What does “family” mean to you?Share a Story
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- What are your hopes for this moment?Share a Story
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- I was raised to believe, generally, in these things: the hardest truth is better than a lie; generosity/being generous and kind is key to living life well; and that designing and building things -most particularly, houses - is super fun and worthwhile and therefore, BUILD...
- What were you raised to believe?Share a Story
- I was raised to believein the American dream. No one was born into a higher or lower station in life because we are all Americans. All people are created in God's image and therefore they have value.My father was born in America in 1906...
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