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Janis Ian: Breaking Silence [ASL]

1hr 51m 14s

This version contains on-screen ASL interpretation. Discover the life of singer-songwriter Janis Ian and how she rose as a folk icon and gay rights advocate. She broke ground with “Society’s Child” (1966), a bold take on interracial love, and “At Seventeen” (1975), a searing anthem about bullying.

Aired: 06/19/25 | Expires: 07/18/25
Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo and Patricia Yuen, Lillian Goldman Programming Endowment, Seton J. Melvin, Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, Anita and Jay Kaufman, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, The Charina Endowment Fund, The Marc Haas Foundation and public television viewers.
Extras
Discover Hannah Arendt, one of the most fearless political writers of modern times.
Hannah Arendt came up with ideas for “The Origins of Totalitarianism” while observing Hitler.
Hannah Arendt became a stateless person in 1933 upon fleeing Germany to France.
Hannah Arendt was teaching at Berkeley when McCarthyism took hold of the United States.
Hannah Arendt came up with the concept of “the banality of evil” during the trial of Adolf Eichmann.
Trace the life and music of “Society’s Child” folk icon and LGBTQ+ advocate Janis Ian.
Trace the life and music of “Society’s Child” folk icon and LGBTQ+ advocate Janis Ian.
Follow Danielle Scott as she makes art that explores the wretched pain and beauty of her ancestors.
Musician Tunde Adebimpe on his creative process behind his solo album debut.
Photographer Gioncarlo Valentine documents intimacy as a radical act of self-exploration.