Float my boat

The day that transformed Houston: Ship Channel opening launched city toward boom times

What to do on a momentous occasion when there is no Internet, no smartphones and Twitter is strictly for the birds? One hundred years ago today, President Woodrow Wilson did a remarkable job with that era's limited technology. He pushed a button from the White House and by some magical remote control, a cannon was fired 1,400 miles away officially opening the Houston Ship Channel and launching the Port of Houston.

That was Nov. 10, 1914.

In addition to the cannon shot, there was a 21-gun salute as thousands of people gathered at the Turning Basin for the ceremony. The Port of Houston Authority notes in its history of the opening, "A parade was held in downtown and 40 blocks were strung with a new invention: incandescent lights."

Since that time the port has proven to be an integral part of the city's economy. According to a 2012 study by Martin Associates, ship-channel related businesses contribute 1,026,820 jobs throughout Texas, an increase of more than 785,000 jobs cited in a 2007 study. The Port of Houston website reports, "This activity helped generate more than $178.5 billion in statewide economic impact, up from nearly $118 billion. Additionally, more than $4.5 billion in state and local tax revenues are generated by business activities related to the port, up from $3.7 billion."

The latest trade statistics from 2013 are impressive with the Port of Houston ranked first in the U.S. in foreign tonnage, second in the U.S. in terms of cargo value and seventh in container cargo capacity.

Tonight on the exact 100th anniversary, Houston Public Media will premiere at 9 p.m. Houston Ship Channel: Deep Water Centennial, a 60-minute documentary highlighting the history of the ship channel and the port. The film was produced by the Texas Foundation for the Arts.

Thousands of people gathered at the Turning Basin for the official launch of the Houston Ship Channel on Nov. 10, 2014.

2 Houston Ship Channel - Deep Water Centennial documentary stills November 2014

Photo courtesy of Texas Foundation for the Arts YouTube

Thousands of people gathered at the Turning Basin for the official launch of the Houston Ship Channel on Nov. 10, 2014.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”