“It's hard to have faith in a system that is built with institutions that are designed to keep certain people down."

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This week’s episode: The American divide ([link removed])

Reveal host Al Letson talks to a first-time voter, whose struggles reflect the divisions this country faces after a historic election.
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Voters wait in line before the polls open Nov. 3 at The Orpheum Theater in Madison, Wis. The theater was opened as a polling place to deal with record voter turnout. Credit: Andy Manis/Getty Images


** Talking with a first-time voter in Wisconsin
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“It's hard to have faith in a system that is built with institutions that are designed to keep certain people down,” says Jackson Wolfe.

Jackson is an 18-year-old from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, who worked on a get-out-to-vote campaign with a nonprofit called Leaders Igniting Transformation. He also voted for the first time this year, casting a ballot in the election that has had the highest voter turnout in U.S. history. On this week’s episode, ([link removed]) Jackson talked with Al Letson about his personal perspective on the divisions that feel like they define American life these days. Jackson grew up in a predominantly White, conservative small city – but as a Black gay Republican, he said he never really felt like he fit in anywhere during his teens. “I learned to assimilate to my White peers,” he tells Al.

As the election moves into a new stage, it’s interesting to think about how it has been seen by young people like Jackson. For him, it’s the first election of his lifetime in which he can actually participate. His political identity was deeply shaped this year by the murder of George Floyd and massive Black Lives Matter protests. When Al checked in with Jackson a few days after the election, he poignantly said: “I really feel like right now, as a country, we're all very tense, and I think everyone is collectively ready for this to move forward. But moving forward is the scary part.”

Listen to the episode: The American divide ([link removed])
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** Reveal Recommends
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Rachel de Leon works as a producer and reporter at Reveal. She puts together challenging video projects such as interviewing Amazon workers ([link removed]) about workplace injuries.

Listening: I listen to a lot of sad, heavy podcasts. So I have to say, I've been relishing those that make me laugh. “Scam Goddess ([link removed]) ” has been keeping me laughing for a few weeks now.

Reading: I've been reading “Disability Visibility ([link removed]) ,” which is a book of essays edited by the legendary Alice Wong. The book is made up of stories from disabled people who are writing about experiences that are funny, deep, thought-provoking and different from anything I've read before.

Watching: “I May Destroy You ([link removed]) ” on HBO. I put off watching it for a while because I knew it would tear me apart, but it is so worthwhile. The way that Michaela Coel shows the depth of what a victim goes through is astounding. And she shows the joy and love a person can experience during the healing process. I was so moved and touched by this series.

You can follow Rachel’s work on Twitter at @raeoflion ([link removed]) .
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Do you have feedback for Reveal? Send it over! This newsletter was written by Sarah Mirk (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Weekly%20Reveal%20feedback) , who will share your thoughts with the team.
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