• Taraji P. Henson spoke before the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health on Friday to advocate for more mental health counselors and education in schools.
  • The Empire star opened up about her personal experience with anxiety and depression back in April.
  • Henson founded the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, which works to end the stigma surrounding mental illness in the black community.

Taraji P. Henson is working to break down the stigma surrounding mental health, especially in black communities. The Empire actress spoke before the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health on Friday to emphasize the need for more mental health counselors and education in schools.

“It breaks my heart to know that 5-year-old children are contemplating life and death,” Henson said to Congress, per E News. “I just...I’m sorry. That one is tough for me. So I’m here to appeal to you, because this is a national crisis. When I hear of kids going into bathrooms, cutting themselves, you’re supposed to feel safe in school.”

She added that mental health care should be integrated into school curriculum. “If we can teach children about sex education and physical education, why not mental?” she says. “That’s where we start attacking this issue: with the children.”

Suicide rates are on the rise in the U.S. A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics showed that annual ER visits relating to suicide for people between 5 to 18 years old rose from 2.2 percent to 3.5 percent from 2007 to 2015. Black and African American adults are also more likely to have feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness than white American adults, according to Mental Health America.

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Henson herself is no stranger to mental health issues. The Empire star opened up to Variety about her experience with anxiety and depression back in April.

“I think there’s a misconception with people in the limelight that we have it all together, and because we have money now and are living out our dreams, everything is fine,” she told Variety. She admitted that the pressure of being on a hit TV series can be overwhelming. “I suffer from depression,” she said. “My anxiety is kicking up even more every day, and I’ve never really dealt with anxiety like that. It’s something new.

Henson is on a mission to make changes

Henson is the founder of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, which works to end the stigma surrounding mental illness in the black community.

She named the charity after her father, who was a Vietnam War veteran and suffered from mental illness. “I founded this foundation because there was a problem,” she said to Congress. “My father passed in ‘06. Two years prior to that, my son’s father was murdered here in Washington D.C. That’s trauma, not only for my son but for myself...it dawned on me the reason why we don’t have many psychiatrists...that they’re not easily accessible, is because we in the African-American community, we don’t deal with mental health issues.”

Henson has also been vocal about how hard it was to find a therapist for her son, which is why part of her work involves trying to get more therapists into schools, to break the cycle of “kids going straight from school to prison.”

“I’m here using my celebrity, using my voice, to put a face to this because I also suffer from depression and anxiety,” she continued. “And if you’re a human living in today’s world, I don’t know how you’re not suffering in any way, I mean if you turn on the news, that’s PTSD right there. We need each other. This is me reaching across the table, trying to lend a helping hand in the best way I can. We have to save the children.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.


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Nicol Natale
Associate Editor

Currently an assistant editor at Prevention.com, Nicol is a Manhattan-based journalist who specializes in health, wellness, beauty, fashion, business, and lifestyle. Her work has appeared in Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Houston Chronicle, Business Insider, INSIDER, Everyday Health, and more. When Nicol isn't writing, she loves trying new workout classes, testing out the latest face mask, and traveling. Follow her on Instagram for the latest on health, wellness, and lifestyle.