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Arts & Culture

PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT SERIES: I Work

Jessica interviews for a new teaching position after her district laid off over 200 teachers at the end of the school year.
Courtesy of PBS/Radical Media
Jessica interviews for a new teaching position after her district laid off over 200 teachers at the end of the school year.

Stream or tune in Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV + Saturday, Jan. 16 at 4 p.m. on KPBS 2

On "I Work," 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.

More About The Series

Since it launched in January 2020, PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT has collected more than 11,000 stories from people across America that, together, hope to answer the question: What does it really mean to be an American today? Millions of people visited the site throughout 2020 to explore user-submitted stories in response to a series of thought-provoking prompts and the events of 2020 in real-time.

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These stories helped share the themes reflected in the four-part docuseries. 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 satisfaction 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.

Truckers Laura and Terry prepare for their next long-haul.
Courtesy of PBS/Radical Media
Truckers Laura and Terry prepare for their next long-haul.

Watch On Your Schedule:

With the PBS Video App, you can stream your favorite and local station shows. Download it for free on your favorite device. The app allows you to catch up on recent episodes and discover award-winning shows.

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Credits:

Produced by PBS and RadicalMedia