Brené Brown, Ph.D., LCSW
Huffington Foundation-Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
In Brené Brown, Ph.D.’s new book Daring Greatly, one meme in particular is reiterated – “showing up” in your life, letting yourself be seen, and being courageous with family, friends, co-workers, and in life. In her view, the source of an individual’s pain and life dissatisfaction are rooted in an unwillingness to be open and to take emotional risks with the people in their lives. In her years as a shame resilience researcher, Brown has documented the paradox of shame: by playing it safe, by adopting a veneer of perfectionism, by armoring ourselves with layers of emotional defenses, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to experience joy, creativity, empathy, belonging and love. For Brown, being vulnerable is a “subversive” act, risky, and sometimes painful, yet it is the true path to authentic human connection and an engaged, meaningful life.
Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She is a nationally renowned speaker – her 2010 TEDxHouston talk is one of the 10 most popular TEDx talks, nearly six million views, and she was a featured national TED speaker in 2012. She is the author of The Gifts of Imperfection and I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t), both best sellers. Her presentations are noted for their wit, compassion, honesty and insight – there’s much to relate to in her appealing message, and her hopeful, optimistic, endorsing manner is a great spur to live “wholeheartedly” as you go out into the world.
Upcoming Events
America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries
Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., Ph.D.
James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University
Imani Perry, JD, Ph.D.
Henry A. Morss, Jr. and Elisabeth W. Morss Professor of Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University and the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute
ON ZOOM
Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better
David Epstein
Science writer and best-selling author
Megan Twohey
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times
Evanston Township High School Auditorium
Note: Event start time is Central Time (CT).
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Post-event reception in ETHS’s Alumni Hall, open to all.

Churn: The Tension That Divides Us and How to Overcome It
Claude M. Steele, Ph.D.
Lucie Stern Professor in the Social Sciences, Emeritus, at Stanford University
Marcus Campbell, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Evanston Township High School D202, Evanston, IL
Evanston Township High School Auditorium
Note: Event start time is Central Time (CT).
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

