PBS peeps

Sociologist Brené Brown takes message of imperfection to Channel 8

"Nobody's perfect" may be tossed around in casual conversation, but University of Houston professor Brené Brown has made the mantra her life's work.

Now, Brown is taking her research on imperfection to the television airwaves with a PBS special, Gifts of Imperfection: Living with Courage, Compassion and Connection, premiering Monday at 7 p.m. (with a rebroadcast at 8:30 p.m.).

"A lot of my research is moving away from our society's construction that dictates what we're supposed to look like, what amount we're supposed to make and who we're supposed to be," Brown tells CultureMap. "This notion of worthiness also is aligned with PBS' mission."

For the past 10 years, Brown has been working to spark a national dialogue about perfectionism, authenticity and the importance of connection. She caught the attention of PBS scouts at June's TEDx conference in Houston. After negotiations, Channel 8 secured the funding from the national PBS organization and filming before a local audience began a mere two weeks later.

"It's been a really aggressive crazy production process," Brown says. "I've done a lot of public speaking, but TV is a lot harder than i thought it was going to be."

The show explores the ideas of shame and empathy through Brown's warm and witty eye, and aims to spark a much needed discussion on the topics of perfectionism and worthiness and their impact on the broader culture. Brown's message is for viewers to find the courage to accept their vulnerabilities with dignity and grace.

Brown's PBS debut is poised for national attention. Gifts of Imperfection will air during the launch of the Channel 8 pledge drive Monday. If it proves effective, the program will be broadcast for national audiences during a nationwide PBS fundraising campaign in March 2011.

An "unapologetic lover of Houston" and "huge supporter" of PBS, Brown says that creating a program with Channel 8 represents a milestone in her career.

"I think I had two big goals — one was to do a TED talk, and the other was to collaborate with PBS. To have both come true in Houston is so special," she says.

Gifts of Imperfection won't be the last we'll see of the popular speaker, author and research professor. Brown, a mother of a 5 and 11-year-old, will present research she's conducted on "imperfect" parenting in January at the Omni as part of their Elevate Lecture series.

"If all goes well, I could see doing another show," she says.

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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.”