The documentary, directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, centered on The American Legion’s Boys State program in Texas, which engages high school junior boys in building a mock local, county and state representative government.
“Boys State” was released to critical acclaim in August and was the winner of the 2020 Sundance Festival’s Grand Jury Prize.
The A24 documentary is currently available only on Apple TV+.
Tango Alpha Lima recently featured “Boys State” alumni Steven Garza and co-director Jesse Moss. Garza says in the interview that the experience was a “coming of age story in a week”, noting that participation in the program is “invaluable to anybody who’s going to continuing pursuing politics in their professional life.”
Garza says that the Boys State program gave him the confidence to deliver one of the documentary’s most powerful moments while speaking to a thousand-strong crowd, despite, as he says, entering the program as a “timid and shy kid.”
The American Legion: Boys State & Girls State
Boys State was founded in 1935 by Legionnaires Hayes Kennedy and Harold Card to foster ideas of Americanism in youth and to counter the Soviet Union’s Young Pioneer Camps.
The program and its counterpart Girls State allows high school juniors to participate in all facets of state and local government, including legislative sessions, law-enforcement, mock-court proceedings, and more.
Every state besides Hawaii has its own program and eligibility requirements.
About Tango Alpha Lima
Tango Alpha Lima is produced by The American Legion and was founded as a way for the Legion to reach younger veterans. The podcast covers a wide range of issues, including the recent civil rights protests in the U.S., the coronavirus pandemic, veterans news, and more all from the point of view of its three veteran co-hosts.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.