Taraji P. Henson is set to host a two-day mental health summit next month.
The ‘Empire’ star – who has been open about her own struggles with depression and anxiety – has announced that her Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (BLHF) which was set up in 2018 and will host its first major summit. The organization named it after her father, Boris Lawrence Henson, who struggled with mental health challenges as a result of his tour of duty in the Vietnam War, is set to host the inaugural ‘Can We Talk?’ conference and benefit dinner in Washington D.C. between June 7 and 9.
The summit will provide attendees with an opportunity to engage with notable mental health experts, policy-makers, and leaders to focus on strategies to end the mental health stigma and help community members in need.
In a statement, 48-year-old Taraji said: “Mental illness is a huge issue in the black community. The suicide rate of young people has doubled in the last 15 years, this is a national crisis. We are working to normalizing the conversation in our communities at a younger age to eradicate the stigma. We have to start somewhere – and I believe openly talking about it is a good place to start.”
According to People magazine, the summit will start on June 7 with a benefit dinner for 300 attendees, where a keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Altha J. Stewart, the first African-American and first woman to be named President of the American Psychiatric Association.
Taraji herself is set to take part in the event, as will the BLHF 2019 Youth Council Ambassador, Isan Elba, the 17-year-old daughter of actor Idris Elba.
The ‘What Men Want’ actress also recently went above and beyond for her stepmom. The mother of one gave back to her stepmom in a very touching gesture; just days before Mother’s Day. Speaking about the surprise house renovation, Henson said, “Angie never expected this.”
The ‘Can We Talk?’ conference and benefit dinner in Washington D.C. for the weekend of June 7th to 9th.
