Taraji P. Henson wants more people in the Black community to “talk about mental health”.
The 50-year-old actress is being honoured for her work as a mental health advocate at the Virtual 14th Annual HOPE Luncheon Seminar which will benefit the Hope for Depression Research Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to cutting-edge depression research – on Wednesday (11.11.20), where she will receive the Community Ambassador of Hope Award.
And in a videotaped acceptance speech for the accolade, Taraji said people in the Black community need to do more to open up about mental health, as she believes the community is often taught to “hold our problems close”.
She said: “We don’t talk about mental health in the Black community. We’ve been taught that we should pray our problems away. We’ve been taught to hold our problems close to the vest out of fear of being labeled weak or inadequate.”
The ‘Empire’ star is being honoured for the campaign she started in April to help the Black community access free, virtual therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taraji launched the campaign through The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, which she named in honour of her father, who suffered from mental health issues after his tour of duty in the Vietnam War.
READ: Empire Star Taraji P. Henson Convinced Her Life’s Purpose Is Helping People With Mental Health
Founded in 2018, the nonprofit seeks to “change the perception of mental illness in the African American community by encouraging those who suffer with this debilitating illness to get the help they need”.
Meanwhile, it was recently reported Taraji is set to host a show about mental health on Facebook Watch, which will be co-hosted by the actress and Tracie Jade Jenkins, who is the executive director of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation.
Taraji said in a statement: “I’ve long been a mental health advocate for the Black community and created the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in 2018 that has provided resources to thousands of people who are struggling.
“I’m looking forward to bringing this new talk series to Facebook Watch, where I can continue to create a conversation around an issue that is near and dear to my heart.”
READ: Taraji P. Henson Working On An ‘Empire’ Spin-Off Series
