Self-Evident

Does your grandparent hold the secret to a happier New Year? Because Americans over 80 years old report feeling happier than any other age group, we asked them to share their wisdom as 2021 begins during a time of challenge and uncertainty. These elders include cannabis comedian Tommy Chong, a psychologist, a transgender burlesque performer, and a 90-year-old nudist who lets it all hang out.

The digital divide in America has become a major problem during the pandemic for the millions of people living without internet access at home and especially impacts children and their education. Take a first-hand look at what life is like for a Utah Navajo family who lives offline, and hear why Khan Academy founder Sal Khan believes that internet access should be considered a basic right.

Meet some Americans from different walks of life who live full time in their vans traveling the country. Whether they are into #vanlife by choice or because of a dire financial situation, they have found freedom on the open road. Some of them think this lifestyle is the wave of the future and many more of us will be joining them on this extreme road trip soon.

Becoming a new parent during a global pandemic means expecting even more of the unexpected. This episode full of hope, faith, and perseverance features a couple from The Bronx who documented their pregnancy, their son’s very premature birth, and his subsequent stay in the NICU. Also, YouTuber Rob Kenney has some advice for all parents during this challenging era.

The pandemic has led many of us to be separated from our loved ones for months, leaving us unsure of when we might be able to reunite. But for one adopted New Yorker, COVID-19 nearly derailed a reunion with her birth mother a half-century in the making. In this episode, they tell the story of how they were able to overcome the odds to come together nearly 50 years to the day later.

A rarely seen look inside Portland’s protests through the lens of photojournalist Beth Nakamura. Since the uprising in response to George Floyd’s killing began in May 2020, and for the subsequent months, this staff photographer, and the team at The Oregonian newspaper, have captured the unfolding situation in an intimate and nuanced way that is often absent in the national media’s coverage.

This episode explores the unexpected ways of finding love and connection in this intense time. Thi Lam and Rance Nix, two single NYC roommates were inspired by reality TV to be quarantine cupids with their "show" Love is Quarantine. Shan Boodram, an intimacy expert and sexologist, gives love and relationship tips and explains how she’s surviving being holed up with her husband while pregnant.

Whether because of personal desire or necessity, reinvention is a vital part of the American identity. We hear how ex-Amazon warehouse worker Chris Smalls took a stand and set off in a new direction to protect others, and how YouTuber Anthony Padilla found new meaning in his work after leaving behind his hugely successful comedy channel Smosh.

Music is a reflection of our American collective consciousness, so we’re taking a listen to the soundtrack of this moment. We’ll show how producer/artist Ricky Reed (Lizzo, Leon Bridges) and musician/activist Madame Gandhi are creating community through collaboration and finding solidarity in isolation. Hear the music and see a performance that could have only been made in this unique moment.

Ijeoma Oluo (Author, Educator), Rachel Cargle (Author, Educator, Loveland Foundation), & Elijah Lee (a 12-year-old minister) give us a look at what the life of an anti-racist activist is really like. With unprecedented Black Lives Matter protests happening across the country, America seems poised to perhaps have a reckoning with its history of racial injustice.

Every ten-year-old kid goes through big changes, all while simultaneously learning to navigate and understand the wider world. By nature, this makes them incredibly resilient and adaptable. Could their resilience give them an edge when it comes to taking on the huge shifts happening in 2020?

Self-Evident: A PBS American Portrait Miniseries