Families come in all different shapes and sizes. For some, thinking about family brings up memories of heartache and loss, while others may have no memories at all. Then, there are chosen families made up of formal or informal adoptions. One thing is for certain, everyone’s family is different.
PBS American Portrait: Family of Us paints a moving and meaningful picture of today’s families and the way these relationships shape us. This American Portrait special follows two main family stories. Since June they have filmed themselves as they try to solve challenges, pursue common goals, and improve their lives by working together. Between those main stories, we hear from a chorus of families from all over the nation as they show us what it really means to be a part of a modern American family. Watch Sunday, August 2, at 9:30 p.m.
PBS American Portrait is a national storytelling project aligned with PBS's 50th-anniversary celebration, inviting America to participate in a national conversation about what it really means to be an American today. This multiplatform project connects tens of thousands of people across the country, creating a communal voice through individual stories of joy, hardship, triumphs, and sorrow. Participants will be able to tell and share their own stories, and see the stories shared by a wide panorama of Americans, united by a series of prompts that will serve as conversation starters, including: “I was raised to believe…,” “The tradition I carry on is…,” “What keeps me up at night is…,” “When I step outside my door…” and “Most days I feel…,” among others.
Submit your own story at PBS.org/AmericanPortrait. You can keep up with American Portrait on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @americanportraitpbs.