+@>>>
+@>>> A
+@>>> A FASCINATING NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES TAKES A LOOK
AT CLASS ISSUES IN AMERICAN
+@
AT CLASS ISSUES IN AMERICAN EDUCATION.
EDUCATION. IS CALLED AMERICA TO ME.
+@
IS CALLED AMERICA TO ME. +@>> AFTER SEEING SOME THE PEOP
GIVE UP, I KNOW WHAT WILL
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. >> AND THE TEACHER WOULD SAY
THINGS LIKE NONE OF YOU ARE
+@GOING TO LEARN ANYWAY, SO WE @
ARE GOING TO SIT HERE.
>> THIS SHOW IS SET IN A BIG
CHICAGO AREA HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THIS MOTHER AND HER SON
SHARE THEIR STRUGGLES.
WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TODAY.
AND SO PERHAPS YO+@U CAN GET
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE.
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE. TANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THAT WAS A VERY HONEST CLIP
RIGHT THERE.
RIGHT THERE. AND THAT HAPPENED?
I WAS ASKING YOU DURING THE
COMMERCIAL BREAK HOW THIS
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BE A PART
OF THIS, BECAUSE IT IS OPENING
YOURSELF UP.
YOURSELF UP. >> FOR MYSELF I TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE COULD BREAK THE
STEREOTYPES ABOUT SINGLE MOTHERS
. I WANT THE BEST EDUCATION FOR
MY CHILDREN, AND I WANTED TO
HAVE A DIFFERENT SIDE THAN WHAT
I HAD 20 YEARS AGO.
I WANTED TO BRING UP THE
DISCUSSION, SO THAT IF WE
ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, I THINK WE
CAN FIX THEM.
BUT IF WE HIDE FROM THE PROBLEMS
, WE CANNOT FIX +@THEM.
>> WHAT IS THE DIVIDE LIKE IN
YOUR HIGH SCHOOL FROM YOUR
PERSPECTIVE IN CHICAGO?
>> I +@THINK THEY FOCUS MORE ON
PEOPLE WITH MONEY AND THE +@
PEOPLE WHO ARE CAUCASIANS IN +@
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. I
SCHOOL. I THINK THEY TRY TO HELP THE
MINORITIES, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME THERE HELP IS DIFFERENT
+@ BECAUSE THE WAY THEY WERE TAUGHT
-- I'M NOT REALLY SURE BUT
THERE HELP IS NOT REALLY
HELPING.
HELPING.
HELPING. IT BRINGS US DOWN OR KEEPS US
ON THE SAME PATH.
NOT REALLY GIVING US THE SAME
BENEFITS FOR THE SAME
ATTRIBUTES AS OTHER STUDENTS.
>> AND YOU ARE LIVING IN
HOUSTON, PART-TIME.
HOUSTON, PART-TIME. AND WHY IS THAT?>> LAST YEAR
AROUND THIS TIME A FRIEND OF
MINE WAS KILLED AND THAT WAS A
YEAR AFTER ANOTHER FRIEND WAS
KILLED.
KILLED.
KILLED. SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER
IF I GOT AWAY.
>> YOU MADE A GOOD POINT, AND I
WANT YOU TO SHARE IT.
BUT THERE WAS A GOOD REASON FOR
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. >>
THIS. >> I WAN+@TED HIM TO SEE ANOTHE
SIDE.
SIDE.
SIDE. I
SIDE. I FEEL LIKE WHEN WE ARE IN
C+@HICAGO WE ARE ALWAYS IN FIGH
OR FLIGHT.
OR FLIGHT. GANGS IN POLICE AND ALL
DIFFERENT KINDS OF T+@HINGS.
IF HE GOT TO GO OUTSID+@E, HE
COULD +@SEE THERE IS A WORLD OU
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. AND
HERE. AND EVENED IN CHICAGO IT IS NOT
ALL BAD.
ALL BAD.
ALL BAD. BUT I WANTED HIM TO HAVE A
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND BE
HAPPY AND NOT BE SO ANGRY ABOUT
WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND IT
REAL+@LY HELPED BECAUSE IT MADE
HIM SEE A DIFFERENT SIDE, AND
HE TURNED THAT TO MUSIC AND IT
MAKES THEM WANT TO COME HOME
AND +@DO MORE FOR HIS CITY.>> D
YOU FEEL HAPPIER?>> I +@DO.
WHEN I LEFT CHICAGO, I SAW A
LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT I DID
NOT THINK WERE POSSIBLE.
SO I FEEL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF
AND DURING THE YEAR THAT I HAVE
BEEN GONE, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE
CHANGED FOR THE BETTER.>> I SEE
A LITTLE SMILE.
YOU CANNOT HIDE THAT.
YOU CAN WATCH THIS ON SUNDAYS
ONLINE AND WE HOPE YOU DO WATCH.
>> WE HOPE THAT PEOPLE GO TO
PARTICIPANT MEDIA.
PARTICIPANT MEDIA. THEY BROUG+@HT US OUT HERE.
THEY HAVE A GREAT GROUP AND A
CAMPAIGN TO SIGN UP FOR.+@
AND YOU CAN START DISCUSSIONS.
AND SO THIS CHANGE CAN HAPPEN
ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY.>> AND
WHAT IS IT CALLED?
>> IT IS CALLED PARTICIPANT
MEDIA.
MEDIA.
MEDIA. >>
MEDIA. >> AND CONVERSATION IS WHAT IT
IS ABOUT.
IS ABOUT.
IS ABOUT. >> I BELIEVE MORE PEOPLE WANT
CHANGE.
CHANGE.
CHANGE. I
CHANGE. I BELIEVE THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE
GOOD.
GOOD.
GOOD. AND
GOOD. AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO
START.
START.
START. SO
START. SO THIS HELPED US.
>> WE HOPE OTHER PEOPLE CAN
CHANGE THEIR LIVES AS WELL.
WE WISH YOU THE BEST.
WE