Over the last five years, more than 170 churches have joined Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III's mission to address disenfranchisement and food insecurity. Rev. Brown shares his Brief But Spectacular take on nourishing the mind, body and soul. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Jonathan McCrory has served as the artistic director at the National Black Theatre for over ten years. Along the way, he earned three Obie Awards, the highest honor for off-Broadway theater. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on love, joy and the pursuit of happiness. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Steven Waldman is the founder and president of Rebuild Local News, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to counter the collapse of local news and strengthen local democracy. He is also the co-founder of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in newsrooms across the country. Waldman shares his Brief But Spectacular take on how to rebuild local news. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Megan Fernandes is a writer and assistant professor at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, where she teaches courses on poetry and environmental writing. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on humor and humiliation in poetry. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Deesha Philyaw is a writer whose debut short story collection, "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies," was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award. Her works touch on themes of race, sex, gender and pop culture. Philyaw shares her Brief But Spectacular take on Black women, sex and the Black church. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Melinda French Gates envisions a world where women and their newborns remain healthy before, during and after childbirth. The Gates Foundation reported staggering numbers surrounding maternal mortality and offers several interventions that have the potential to save the lives of 2 million mothers and babies by 2030. She gives her Brief But Spectacular take on making birth safer. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Jeanann Verlee uses her work to bring awareness to issues surrounding mental health. She has authored three books of poetry and writes about mental health awareness, trauma survival and domestic abuse and domestic violence. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on destigmatizing mental illness through poetry. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Mahogany Browne is a poet, writer, organizer and educator. Recently, she became the first-ever poet-in-residence at the Lincoln Center in New York City. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on poetry as ritual. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Writer Mary Otis' work grapples with issues of addiction, artistic purpose, and mother-daughter relationships. She recently performed excerpts from her debut novel, "Burst," at Lincoln Center in New York City. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on finding her voice. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Hope Boykin and Teri Ayanna Wright are a duo who bring together prose and dance. Boykin is both a choreographer and writer, and Wright is a dancer who accompanies the spoken word portion of the piece, bringing it to another dimension. They share their Brief But Spectacular take on creating their own paths. It's part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders